School board authorizes signing of $70,101 math-acceleration grant

The Roanoke City School Board on Oct. 28 authorized the school board chair and the superintendent to sign a math-acceleration grant agreement worth $70,101.20.

Board member Miss Watkins moved to amend the amended agenda to include authority for the board chair and superintendent to sign the grant; the motion was seconded by Doctor Jamieson and approved by voice vote. “Madam Chair, I move to amend the amended agenda, to authorize the school board chair and superintendent to sign a grant agreement, for the math acceleration grant part 2 for, $70,101.20,” Miss Watkins said during the meeting.

Doctor Cindy Williams, who presented the application, said the Virginia Department of Education posted the grant Oct. 16 with a tight deadline of Oct. 30. She outlined three focus areas: paying for teachers’ add‑on endorsements to teach accelerated middle‑school math, professional learning for middle‑school teachers, and a sixth‑grade summer bridge program to support students transitioning from fifth to sixth grade. “This grant was posted by the Virginia Department of Education on October 16 and has a quick turnaround time for October 30,” Williams told the board.

The board voted by voice to approve the authorization; the meeting record shows ayes were recorded and the motion carried. The authorization allows the chair and superintendent to execute the application and any related agreement required to submit or accept the funds. The board did not record a roll‑call tally in the transcript.

The vote wraps up the board’s consideration of the grant at this meeting; the superintendent had listed the grant, a reappropriation request and budget items as the principal agenda items for the evening.