By Charlotte Matherly, contributor
School safety is the top priority for community members when looking ahead to the next five years in Rockingham County Public Schools.
Safety and security emerged as the most-frequently cited priority among the school board’s focus areas by appearing on about 1,400 out of 2,300 survey responses, according to the findings that Superintendent Larry Shifflett presented to the board Monday.
After safety came:
- academic excellence, with just under 1,000 responses
- student behavioral health and wellness, with about 900
- employee recruitment and retention, with just over 500
- stewardship, with about 400
- and community engagement, with around 250.
Of the responses, about 1,700 came from parents, 800 from staff members, 180 from community members and a few dozen from students. Through the surveys, the school district aimed to find out from stakeholders what they think should be prioritized in RCPS’s comprehensive plan for 2024 through 2029.
“Not everything can be a priority. If everything’s a priority, then nothing is,” Shifflett said at Monday’s school board meeting. “So, what are we really going to put our focus on?”
In the survey, Shifflett laid out specific initiatives underneath each broader focus area. Ideas to improve student behavioral health and wellness led the pack. Among the initiatives with the largest number of respondents identified as “important” and “very important” were to:
- Establish high expectations for student behavior for student behavior across all schools (92.2%)
- Develop programs that meet the academic needs of all students, including those who may face additional challenges, such as students in specialized education, English language learners, and students with exceptional strengths or talents (90%)
- Develop programs that provide support for students’ behavioral and overall wellness needs (89.2%)
- Ensure responsible spending practices across all district operations (83.2%)
- Create a discipline matrix to ensure consistent response to behavioral issues across the division (80.6%)
- Develop a school culture that fosters a strong sense of belonging for all families and students (80.5%)
Shifflett said he’ll present a draft of the comprehensive plan at the next school board meeting, then return the final draft for a vote on Dec. 9.
Committee to look for replacing security cameras
Making a jumpstart on one of the comprehensive plan’s top priorities, the school board voted to create a new committee tasked with finding new security cameras for the school district. Caleb Bailey, the director of school safety and security, said in surveying the county’s schools, 25% said security cameras are at the top of their list for physical safety improvements.
Bailey said there’s currently a lack of consistency among the brands used, their quality and their capabilities. Moving forward, the committee will lay out minimum standards for future contracts and prioritize integration with other security systems, like door access.
He didn’t share the estimate of how much it’ll cost to update the cameras but said they’re just a portion of larger capital improvements that could improve school security.
“Some of these items, including the cameras, would be one of those big ticket items that we may have to go into the comprehensive plan, [that] we have to strategize for,” Bailey said. “Collectively, it’s not going to be a cheap move when you’re replacing technology.”
The school district is already over budget on its technology spending for this fiscal year. At 33%% through the year, the district has already spent 45.6% of its tech budget, according to the October budget review. It’s on track and on budget for the rest of its main expenses.
The committee will begin those meetings this week, and board member Ashley Burgoyne will serve as the school board’s representative. Also on the committee are information technology officers, the camera and security specialist from the maintenance department, two school resource officers and a law enforcement investigator.
Also of note
RCPS is exploring adding new high school classes to its course catalog, including an entire department of health and medical sciences.
Liza Coffman, director of support services, pitched adding the department, which she said could start with two classes: an introductory course and one on medical terminology.
Having surveyed about 850 students, Coffman said about one-third said they’re interested in healthcare and medical careers, one-third said they could be interested, and one-third said they’re not. Ramp-up costs, time and effort would be an investment, she said, but a worthwhile one.
“I think the kids are interested in it, and the careers are there in our local community,” Coffman said.
She also proposed four other new courses:
- Small animal care: At the Massanutten Technical Center, this would be part of the veterinary sciences program, where students would learn how to care for and manage small animals.
- Applied agricultural concepts: This would serve as an introduction to agriculture and entrepreneurship competencies, like food production, handling and preparation; livestock and poultry industries; soils; mechanical applications; and horticulture.
- Imaging technology: Students would apply design principles to create images and use the medium as a form of digital communication. It’d help students develop a portfolio, explore careers in photography and imaging, and fit in as part of a four-year broadcasting course sequence.
- Digital visualization: Students would create two- and three-dimension computer graphics and animation while learning principles of storyboarding, texturing, lighting and environmental geometry. It’d also be offered as part of the broadcasting sequence.
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