Concerned Citizens and NAACP press board for meeting on achievement gap after low SOL results
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Summary
Community groups told the board detailed SOL pass-rate figures for Black students and requested a meeting by April 10 to address the achievement gap; the board received the request and committee members outlined next steps.
At the Lynchburg City School Board meeting, speakers representing Concerned Citizens presented stark SOL pass-rate figures and asked the board to engage directly. Bernard Mitchell asked the board "to respond back to us by April 10 with dates, times that we can meet," seeking a follow-up meeting on the achievement gap.
Danny McCann (identified in the record as a Concerned Citizens member) cited specific scores at Robert S. Payne Elementary, including "Third grade reading, 16% pass" and similarly low math pass rates (third-grade math 29%, fourth grade math 6% at Roberts Payne in the examples he gave). He characterized the division’s overall status as troubling and said 11 out of 15 schools are "off track or in need of intensive support." He asked the board to prioritize the issue and meet with community representatives.
Board and staff response: Board members said they would take the request under advisement and noted that an academic committee and other committees are already working on related strategies. Dr. Somerville Majette (superintendent) and board committee chairs acknowledged the concern and noted that the division had an academic committee and planned meetings; one board member noted that the committee had previously asked for the item to be placed on an agenda (a prior motion passed 1–yes, rest no, per the public comment). The NAACP (unit 7088) was mentioned by a board member as having $25,000 to assist on achievement-gap work; the board said staff had attended NAACP meetings and would continue discussions.
Why it matters: The figures presented show localized academic underperformance that community members say requires immediate attention. Community organizations asked for a specific reply by April 10 and offered to meet with the board to work toward solutions.
What happens next: The board did not schedule a special meeting at the session, but members encouraged continued engagement between the district and community groups; the request for dates by April 10 creates a near-term follow-up item.
