By Ruthann Carr
Correspondent
Want some good news? Look no further than Fluvanna schools.
Don Stribling, executive director, human resources, operations, and student services, is responsible for many things COVID-19 related at the schools: vaccinations, data, reporting.
He had great news for the week of Feb. 28.
“No reported cases this week which is a first in almost two years,” Stribling said in an email to staff.
That news was followed up with Superintendent Peter Gretz recognizing high school senior Brenna Kidd-Bania at Thursday’s (March 10) school board meeting.
Gretz said Kidd-Bania won first place in the VSBA Spring Art Competition’s Central Region for her colorful painting of a Black man.
“I called it ‘I Don’t See Color,’ because when people say they don’t see color, they’re saying they don’t see people of color because it’s an integral part of who they are,” Kidd-Bania said.
More good news came with the report of the average daily attendance: February’s was 89.83 percent; up from January’s 86.56 percent.
The Board also heard specifics about summer school:
55 teachers will instruct 250 students (last year 39/185);
May 31 – June 30, 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., four days per week;
Lunch will be provided free of charge;
Regional/neighborhood pick-up and drop-off sites;
Students will attend their home school;
K-7 Staff will identify students in need at each grade level in the areas of reading and math. Invitations will be sent to identified students;
Grades 8-12: Students who are in need of credit recovery and SOL remediation will be invited to participate. End-of-Course SOL tests will be administered to students in need of retakes;
One classroom teacher per eight students in Grades K-8. One classroom teacher per 10 students in Grades 9-12.
In other business:
CATEC Director Stephanie Carter made a presentation to the Board.
The career and technical center was created to serve Albemarle and Charlottesville students.
Out-of-district students can apply.
It costs those students $2,000 to attend, which includes tuition, uniforms, and certification testing.
Board member Andrew Pullen (Columbia) said he wanted to open a conversation about CATEC, Fluvanna and other local, county schools sharing resources.
“CATEC has some programs Fluvanna and others don’t have, but each of the other schools has programs unique to their school,” Pullen said.
Gretz said the federally sponsored free school lunch program for all students will stop at the end of this school year.
In the past when students paid for lunch, Fluvanna schools ended the year with up to $40,000 in cafeteria debt. FCPS had to absorb the debt or try to collect it.
“(The) law now says we can’t collect that debt,” Gretz said.
