Clarifying the Vote Taken by the Board of Education at the Meeting on March 22, 2001, on Item K: First Review of a Request for Approval of an Innovative Program Involving Opening Prior to Labor Day from the Virginia Beach City School Board
Resolution Number 2001-20
April 26, 2001
WHEREAS, § 22.1-79.1 of the Code of Virginia requires local school boards to set the school calendar so that the first day students are required to attend shall be after Labor Day, unless a waiver is granted by the Board of Education; and
WHEREAS, one of the conditions set forth in § 22.1-79.1 of the Code for granting such a waiver is that the school is operating an experimental or innovative program that requires schools to open prior to Labor Day approved by the Board pursuant to the provisions of 8 VAC 20-131-280.D of the Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia; and
WHEREAS, the school board of the city of Virginia Beach sought approval of an innovative program that extends the school year and school day and includes the adoption of a calendar for the 2001-02 school year that requires schools to open prior to Labor Day; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Education has defined an innovative program as one shown to produce a positive educational effect, but which does not meet standard operating or procedural requirements; and
WHEREAS, the approval of schools to operate on a extended year calendar requires approval of the Board of Education; and
WHEREAS, the school board of the city of Virginia Beach asked at this Board’s March meeting to operate all of its schools on an extended year and school day schedule; and
WHEREAS, the school board of the city of Virginia Beach has developed an operating calendar that meets the definition of an innovative program; and
WHEREAS, the Board accepted the proposal of the Virginia Beach School Board and granted a waiver, but did not pass a full resolution setting forth its action and now desires to do so;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Board approves, for three years beginning with the 2001-02 school year, the innovative program proposed by the Virginia Beach Public Schools that operates on an extended year and extended day schedule and grants a waiver of the provisions of ' 22.1-79.1 of the Code to open prior to Labor Day only for the school year 2001-02.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Virginia Beach City School Board shall submit reports no later than October 1 following each year the program is operated on the improvement of Standards of Learning test scores for each school opening prior to Labor Day;
AND BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED THAT, as a result of action that may be taken by the General Assembly of Virginia that results in a change in the provisions of § 22.1-79.1 of the Code of Virginia, the approval to operate programs requiring schools to open prior to Labor Day may be withdrawn upon notification to the Virginia Beach City School Board without further action by the Board of Education.
Adopted in Richmond, Virginia, This Twenty-sixth Day of April in the Year 2001.
Signature:
Susan T. Noble, Vice President, Presiding
Board of Education
Adopted in the Minutes of the Virginia Board of Education
April 26, 2001