Board approves interim superintendent, staff stipends and committee appointments; several procedural policy votes

The Montgomery County Public Schools board voted to appoint Lois Graham as interim superintendent and approved several administrative actions at its Sept. 2 meeting.

The board approved the interim superintendent contract by a 6–1 roll-call vote; Miss Franklin cast the sole dissenting vote. The motion followed a brief procedural discussion and creates an interim superintendent position to serve while the division searches for a permanent superintendent.

Separately, the board approved a proposal to provide annual stipends to operations staff who hold state-issued professional licenses. Assistant director of human resources Tom Brewster described the stipend as an incentive and not a required element of the job; the board discussed whether stipends should eventually roll into base pay. After a round of comments emphasizing pay equity and recruitment, the stipend proposal passed unanimously (7–0).

The board also accepted a $5,000 donation to the division’s Pack the Bus program from First Bank & Trust and acknowledged the July 2025 financial summary, both by roll-call votes recorded as 7 in favor.

On the calendar, administration recommended changing Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, to an early-release day because of a Virginia Tech home game and the increased traffic expected; the calendar change passed with six votes in favor and one abstention.

The board approved forming a General Music Textbook Adoption Committee, composed of 14 general-music teachers (one per school offering the subject), six parents, one administrator and two community members who are music-education faculty at Virginia Tech. The committee’s first meeting is scheduled for Sept. 17 and the motion passed unanimously (7–0).

The board also debated and approved a revision to Policy 1-1.6 concerning timing for a procedural vote to continue or end a meeting; after questions about state code and the mechanics of one-versus-two votes, the change carried 4–3. That policy discussion focused on whether the vote on continuing past the set time should happen at 11 a.m. rather than at 11:30 a.m. as previously practiced.

The meeting moved into closed session later in the evening under §2.2-3711 of the Code of Virginia to discuss personnel and student matters; a roll call vote (7–0) authorized the closed session.

What happens next: Several approved items will return for implementation steps—administration will submit a supplemental appropriation request to accept the GoTech grant funds and staff said they will begin rollout of the stipend program on Aug. 19. Additional policy refinements and any contract details will be scheduled for future board consideration.