The Montgomery County School Board will meet Tuesday to conduct regular business, ranging from an early elementary school grading system to a grant-funded program promoting skilled trades education in middle schools.
The board will meet again Thursday, with a focus on the search to replace Superintendent Bernard Braden Jr., who resigned effective Aug. 30.
Tuesday: Elementary school grading change, middle school tech grant
The board will meet in the school board office’s conference room A, 750 Imperial St. S.E., Christiansburg.
Members will begin with a closed meeting at 5:30 p.m. to discuss religious exemption applications. The regular meeting begins at 7 p.m.
Agenda items include:
- A proposed change in elementary school grading policy. It will specify that kindergarten through third grade students will be subject to a grading system in which 4 represents “above standard” performance, 3 represents “meets standard,” 2 represents “approaching standard” and 1 represents “below standard.”
- A presentation on county schools’ role in a regional Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC) grant, administered by the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research.
The funding will support education focusing on careers in precision machining, welding, metrology (the scientific study of measurements), electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, automation and robotics, information technology coding and networking, and health care technologies.
The program starts in middle school and continues through high school, dual enrollment and post-secondary programs.
According to a GO TEC map, the program is growing across Southwest and Southside Virginia.
County schools joined a group of localities seeking funds from the state’s GO Virginia program to implement a GO TEC lab in middle schools. Montgomery County will serve as the regional fiscal agent.
In the county, the program will be piloted during the 2025-26 school year at Christiansburg Middle School, with a goal of expanding to other middle schools.
- Approval of a proposal to provide annual pay boosts for employees with state-issued licenses that are relevant to facilities and maintenance.
Licensed electricians, plumbers, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning workers would get $3,000 or $2,000; licensed Class A contractors would get $2,500; licensed Class B contractors would get $2,000; licensed Class C contractors would get $1,500; those with a master automotive service excellence certificate would get $1,000; those with a Class A commercial driving license for towing or those with inspection sticker certification would get $750.
The program is expected to cost the division $26,250 annually.
- Approval of a school calendar change for Oct. 24. The proposal is to make it an early release day to address anticipated heavy vehicle traffic to a Virginia Tech football game.
- A presentation on the process for adopting new music course textbooks, with a goal of presenting final recommendations to the board for approval in December.
- A policy change regarding meeting length. The current policy is that school board meetings will adjourn no later than 11:30 p.m., unless two-thirds of the board votes to continue. The proposed change states that when the board is still meeting at 11 p.m., members will vote on whether to continue.
You can find meeting documents here.
Superintendent search to get into gear at Thursday meeting
The board will meet in special session in the superintendent’s suite conference room at the school board office.
Members will begin at 5:45 p.m. with a closed meeting to discuss a student matter and a personnel matter.
At 6:30 p.m., the board will meet in open session and take action to appoint an interim superintendent.
In a July 11 letter, Braden informed the board that he intended to resign effective at the end of August. Being nearly 500 miles from his family “has been more difficult than I anticipated, and after much reflection, I have made the personal decision to step away to be closer to my loved ones,” he wrote.
The board will hear presentations from three firms vying for the job of conducting the new superintendent search: BWP & Associates Ltd., Berkley Group and McPherson & Jacobson.
You can find the agenda here.