A $1.2 million hit to the budget in May and an ongoing conversation about starting the school day a little later are among this year’s highlights in the York County School Division. Plenty more happened throughout the year. Read on for a look back at news from YCSD in 2013.
January
- York County School Division Superintendent announced the division could expect to see a $2.9 million budget gap based on preliminary numbers that took into account a $250,000 increase in revenue and a $3.1 million increase in spending.
February
- Superintendent Eric Williams was involved in a car accident in a division-owned vehicle at the intersection of Hampton Highway and Yorktown Road.
March
- York County School Board Member Cindy Kirschke asked the division to look into starting school a little later in the day for the benefit of high-schoolers, citing research that shows teens naturally sleep later and perform better when they are allowed to do so.
- YCSD partnered with Newport News Public Schools to try and turn a health services program at Bruton High into a shared Governor’s Health Sciences Academy.
April
- A jury trial began for the $10 million wrongful death lawsuit against Grafton High employees after the mother of a teen who committed suicide claimed division employees did not protect him from bullying.
- The division began seeking a contractor to study the teacher salary pay scale in hopes of later unfreezing it.
May
- A last-minute change to real estate tax by the York County Board of Supervisors left the division searching for ways to fill a $1.2 million hole in their expected budget.
- Queens Lake Middle School was locked down after a bullet was found in a hallway. A subsequent search found no weapons.
- Tabb High School went on lockdown after officials received a report a student from another division made threats to a Tabb student via Twitter.
June
- New principal appointments for York High, Queens Lake Middle and Dare Elementary were announced with Kendra Crump, Scott Meadows and Lindsey Caccavale filling the roles, respectively.
- After a suggestion from School Board Member Cindy Kirschke to explore later school start times for teens, the division presented six possible scenarios for new start times, taking into account bus schedules.
July
- Principal Okrika Harold of Magruder Elementary School pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated at the York County General District Court and had her driver’s license restricted to use to and from work, medical appointments and court dates.
- WYDaily published a list of administrative changes in the York County school district, among them: a new principal at Bruton High and new assistant principals at six elementary schools, two middle schools and four high schools.
August
- The YCSD School Board voted unanimously to have Evergreen Solutions, a Florida-based company, study the teacher pay scale and suggest adjustments with the ultimate goal of a teacher pay raise.
September
- School officials decided to push off until October the decision on whether the division should send out surveys to community members on later school day start times.
- The issue of later school day start times again went before the school board as school officials heard from citizens who showed up to speak at the school board meeting in favor of surveying the community on the topic.
October
- A new $23 million Elementary School was shown in the division’s 10-year facilities master plan, a list of upcoming construction projects and their associated price tags.
- Superintendent Eric Williams’ contract was extended through the middle of 2017 after a vote from the York County School Board.
- Eleven people from Magruder Elementary were sent to the hospital with “general illness” symptoms, like headaches, after an odor of sewage was detected.
November
- An optional change to division policy that would extend the probationary employment period for teachers by two years went before the school board for consideration.
- Carol Bauer, president of the York Education Association, asked the school board to leave the teacher employment probationary period as it is and not extend it, citing insecurities it creates for teachers and students.
- Two citizens spoke out against spending money to put in new security cameras at elementary schools in the division, saying the $200,000 should instead be spent elsewhere.
- Survey results from Evergreen Solutions, the company hired to look into improving the teacher pay scale, showed the No. 1 gripe among teachers was frozen salary.
December
- A presentation from and administrator showed the division is in need of a social worker, school psychologist intern, special education teachers and para-educators.
- After hearing a report from Evergreen Solutions on the teacher pay scale, York County School Board members said they would like more time to consider information presented to them.
- School board members decided they would bring the issue of later school day start times to the public via focus groups and parent information nights beginning in March.
- The division’s capital improvement program, a list of upcoming projects and their associated costs, passed the school board and headed for the York County Board of Supervisors.
