The Shadow
LOW MOOR Va. (VR) – The Alleghany Highlands School Board meeting started with the pledge of allegiance, led by students from Mountain View Elementary. One young lady, Ms. Chesney Wright, a fifth grader at Jeter-Watson, was recognized for her artistic ability in creating a snowglobe-themed Christmas card for the school division’s holiday card contest. After approving the agenda, the board approved several key measures at this December meeting, including updates to the district’s capital improvement plan and changes to student cell phone policies.
The board unanimously approved the 2024-25 capital improvement plan, which outlines major facility projects and upgrades across the district. Among the top priorities are renovations of the tennis courts and improvements at Mountain View and Clifton Academy.
“We want to make sure we’re investing in our facilities to provide the best possible learning environments for our students,” said School Board Chair John Littleton. “This capital plan allows us to tackle some important maintenance and upgrade needs in a strategic way.”
The board also discussed ongoing work related to the tennis court project, noting that the district will continue collaborating with the design team that had previously done preliminary planning. Board members emphasized the importance of closely examining factors like water runoff to ensure the project is executed properly.
In another key action, the board approved revisions to the district’s school admission policy to align with recent updates to state code. These changes help preserve the requirements for certain decisions, such as the appointment and term of key school positions.
“Maintaining that helps ensure we have broad consensus on critical governance issues,” explained Superintendent Melinda Halterman. “It’s an important part of the consolidation agreement that brought our school systems together.”
Beyond the formal agenda items, much of the meeting focused on celebrating student and staff accomplishments. The board recognized the success of the district’s anatomy and physiology competition team, which finished in the top 8% nationally at a recent event in Las Vegas.
“These students have put in an incredible amount of work, spending several hours a day practicing on the anatomy table,” said teacher Samantha Cantrell. “They competed against college students and future doctors, which makes their achievement all the more impressive.”
The board also took time to honor the service of two longtime members, Marie Fitzpatrick and Jacob Wright, who are departing the board. Both were praised for their tireless advocacy of students and their pivotal roles in the district consolidation process.
“Jacob’s leadership and determination were instrumental in making consolidation a reality,” said board member Tammy Scruggs Duncan. “And Marie has always been a fierce voice for our students and community. We owe them both a tremendous debt of gratitude.”
Looking ahead, the board discussed potential changes to the district’s student cell phone policy, which currently allows limited use during non-instructional times. Superintendent Halterman outlined options being considered to further restrict phone access in alignment with a recent state executive order.
“We want to strike the right balance, recognizing that phones can serve important purposes while also minimizing distractions during the school day,” Halterman said. “It’s an evolving issue that we’ll continue to thoughtfully address with input from our staff and community.”
Overall, the meeting highlighted the district’s ongoing efforts to enhance facilities, support student success, and adapt policies to meet the evolving needs of the Alleghany Highlands community.
