Danville board adopts series of proclamations, recognizes students and unveils communications plan

At its Feb. 13 meeting, the Danville School Board passed several proclamations, honored students and staff, and reviewed a districtwide branding and communications plan.

The board adopted a School Board Clerk Appreciation Week resolution recognizing board clerk Marquita Bass Jones and proclaimed February 2025 as Virginia School Board Appreciation Month. Officials also declared Black History Month for the district, highlighted National School Counseling Week, and recognized Career and Technical Education Month with plans for career fairs and CTE programming.

Students were part of the program. Fifth-grader Jada Lee Fulton (Gibson Elementary) delivered an oration on "rights and responsibilities" that traced local civil-rights history. The board also heard from preschool classes, recognized a VHSL all-state cross-country athlete, and introduced the first cohort of student mental-health ambassadors who described aims to support peers and promote awareness.

Communications staff presented a multi-year branding and communications plan developed with a marketing partner. The plan includes a refreshed visual identity (retaining the district's blue and orange, adding complementary colors), five stakeholder-focused themes (accountability/results; engagement/partnership; choice; talent/resources; focus/purpose), and 18 Phase 1 action steps such as standardizing printed materials, exploring exterior digital signage, assessing PowerSchool interactions, and piloting alumni and student success stories.

Board members thanked staff and students for presentations and accepted the communications plan for further implementation; no formal vote on the branding plan was recorded during the meeting.

Next steps: communications staff will inventory materials, update templates, develop SOPs and continue stakeholder engagement as part of the three-year rollout.