Tag: public comment
Page 2/3
Residents and teachers vent to school board about controversial issues and educators being stretched too thin
More than two hours of public comments dominated Tuesday’s Harrisonburg school board meeting as about 20 speakers voiced opinions on several different issues. The jumbling of topics — where one person would talk about working conditions at elementary schools while the next speaker addressed higher suicide rates among LGBTQ+ students followed by another person playing a gospel song to punctuate her point — gave the meeting, at times, the feel of a local political fever dream.
Advertisement
Transgender policies and removing books from schools stoke public debate at meeting
Hours after the first hearing of a lawsuit against Harrisonburg City Public Schools in connection to the district’s policies regarding transgender students, more than 20 Harrisonburg residents passionately expressed support and opposition at the school board’s meeting Tuesday.
Advertisement
Travel policy and a parent’s comments make for a testy school board meeting
A debate over the school board’s professional development and travel policy and a parent’s public comments about school library books marked a lively — and sometimes contentious — meeting Thursday.
Advertisement
Intern Spotlight: Calvin’s First Year at Princeton
Jun 26, 2026
Intern Spotlight: Calvin’s First Year at Princeton
City plans for reshaping roads with more bike lanes and sidewalk projects
Harrisonburg plans to apply for state grant money for seven transportation projects, including adding bike lanes on some major thoroughfares and some work on South Main Street near the new Rocktown High School that’s under construction.
School board gets pushback over vaccinations, as well as policy regarding transgender students
The vaccine requirement protocol and covid testing for unvaccinated school staff also prompted passionate arguments from educators, staff and parents during Tuesday’s school board meeting’s public comment period, as did the recent adoption of a model policy from the Virginia School Board Association regarding treatment of transgender students.
School board selects new leaders, takes steps toward SRO decision and harassment policy
To open 2021, the Harrisonburg School Board selected Kristen Loflin as its new chairwoman and Nick Swayne as vice-chairman, then moved forward Tuesday with efforts to further define roles for school resource officers and to prevent harassment in schools, among other business.
Poultry worker advocates urge city council to act after spike in COVID-19 cases
Concern about the spread of COVID-19 in area poultry plants came to the forefront of Tuesday’s Harrisonburg City Council meeting, as 12 city residents representing a variety of grassroots organizations petitioned the council to ask Gov. Ralph Northam to dial back reopening of businesses in order to protect workers.
February 8, 2023
Superintendent pledges to propose funding for ways to ease teachers’ burdens
Superintendent Michael Richards told city public school staff in an email Tuesday morning that he will propose money in next year’s budget to fund ways aimed at improving teacher morale in the district.
Advertisement