The Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism held a “Ballot Referendum Information Session” concerning elected vs. appointed school boards at the Alleghany County Governmental Complex in Low Moor on Wed., Nov. 2.
Executive Director Teresa Hammond introduced Dr. H. Alan Seibert, a member of the Virginia State Board of Education, who served as leader of the session by presenting an audio-visual presentation about the Commonwealth of Virginia’s educational structure from the top down, including the system allowing for governing localities to appoint school board members or to conduct elections to determine who the members will be.
Voters in the Alleghany Highlands will determine whether or not to continue to have school board members appointed or to hold elections to determine who serves on the school board beginning in 2023.
Seibert holds three degrees, his bachelors and doctorate at Virginia Tech and his masters at Radford University.
He recently retired and accepted a part-time position in the Roanoke City Schools where he has established the Constituent Services and Government Relations Office.
During his 32 years of experience in the public schools of Va., he spent 15 years as superintendent of Salem City Schools and 17 years at the elementary, middle, secondary and division levels.
Having served as Virginia Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development President from 2020-2022, Seibert presented graphics such as a shared learning pyramid that demonstrated to the 25 in attendance that what takes place in the classrooms of a school is the most important part of any educational system, and in a nutshell, the bottom line is teaching and learning.
Seibert said, “Virginia is pretty unique, a state where school boards can be elected or appointed.”
He noted that the funds go to the governing bodies of localities rather than the school boards within those localities, and he shared the “Constitution of Virginia, Article 8” concerning education and the way the Commonwealth of Virginia’s General Assembly is charged with maintaining free public schools on the elementary and secondary levels, providing free textbooks, approving or rejecting each governor’s appointees to the Virginia State School Board which is limited to nine appointees and other organizational features that define the working relationships between the state and local levels.
Seibert remarked, “In the State of Virginia, school boards are not independent in that funds are allocated to the government that then allocates the funds to the school boards.”
He continued, “Local school boards cannot tax, and they are dependent on local government that receives the funds from the State of Virginia.”
Concerning the problem with the system where allocated funds may be left at the end of the school year, Seibert observed, “If we didn’t spend it, we won’t get it.”
He explained that school systems plan for a variety of scenarios each year, and he cited weather as being a factor that could cost school districts more than they have in their budgets, or should mild weather prevail, a surplus of funds may be available at the end of the school year.
He recommended that school boards should develop good fiscal stewardship practices and not penalize schools if the funds allocated for one school year are not spent due to circumstances brought about by weather conditions and other factors. In fact, he advocated for incentives to be put into place to reward good stewardship.
His presentation concerned best practices by school districts concerning funding agreements, new revenue received, balancing of funds, establishing a code of conduct and board development.
He noted that disappointments on the part of personnel can be avoided by not raising expectations that cannot be met, and he pointed out that on elected school boards, the members more than likely feel that they owe the people who voted for them transparency and input while those who are appointed most likely appoint a chairman of the school board to serve as a spokesperson.
He advised that regardless of whether the school board is elected or appointed that the code of conduct subscribed to should be reviewed annually.
Seibert remarked I think that the people who are elected (or appointed) should develop a plan for how they can best support the young people, and that is the best plan.”
He concluded, “I encourage you to look at the past 50 years of education.”
Hammond thanked Seibert for leading the session and presented him with a gift from the Chamber, and the hour-long session that was attended by local government officials, Tom Sibold, mayor of Covington; Robert Umstead, vice-mayor of Clifton Forge; and Shorty Wolfe, town councilman of Clifton Forge; ended.
