Chesapeake finance staff briefed the board on Governor Youngkin’s caboose and proposed biennial budget, reporting declining enrollment, an estimated $4.4 million drop in state revenue this year using revised ADM, and a proposed one-time bonus and multi-year salary adjustments that together change projected revenues and compensation costs.
A Chesapeake parent said his fifth-grade child cannot access test content in MasteryConnect and that school staff have been unable to resolve the issue; district staff said they will evaluate the concern and provide a response if appropriate.
Superintendent announced the Virginia Department of Education awarded the district $20,000,000 to fund replacement of the Chesapeake Career Center, with the new center planned for Clearfield Avenue.
At its annual reorganization meeting, the Chesapeake School Board unanimously elected Kim Scott as chair and Mike Lemonia as vice chair for terms through December 2026, and approved several administrative appointments including clerk and fiscal agent.
The board approved an administrative promotion in transportation, retained the Virginia School Boards Association to assist with the superintendent search, and supported the superintendent's recommendation on an appeal under Policy 9-21.
The Chesapeake School Board voted 7–2 to adopt three additions to Policy 8-02 restricting employees from using preferred personal titles or pronouns that do not correspond to sex assigned at birth. Supporters said the changes protect employees from compelled speech; opponents warned of harm to students and possible legal exposure.
The board adopted the superintendent's proposed Capital Improvement Plan for 2026–2036 and will forward it to the city for inclusion in the municipal capital budget; the city is required to act by May 15.
Planning administrator Pedro Martinez presented the superintendent's 2026–2036 Capital Improvement Plan, including a $55,247,900 first-year request and a five-year ask of $621,595,000; major projects and timelines were detailed and final funding depends on City Council appropriations.
Director of assessment Danielle Henderson Jones told the board that preliminary data show Chesapeake Public Schools exceeding state averages and that all schools are preliminarily fully accredited pending the Virginia Department of Education's final review and federal identification outcomes.
At a Chesapeake School Board meeting, multiple speakers urged the board to reject proposed policy language limiting use of preferred pronouns and titles; the board agreed to move the item from the consent agenda to the action agenda for fuller consideration.
