The Shadow
LOW MOOR, Va. (VR) – The Alleghany Highlands Public Schools (AHPS) School Board convened for its January session, a wide-ranging meeting that celebrated student achievements, spotlighted career and technical education (CTE) excellence, advanced family engagement practices shaped since the pandemic, and reviewed early budget signals under the governor’s proposed spending plan. The meeting also addressed consent items and the upcoming calendar of events.
The evening opened with a sincere welcome from new board chairman Jon Lanford to honorary High School representative Zeke Saville, who was later recognized as the district champion in electrical construction, one of several student accolades that underscored AHPS’s momentum in academics, athletics, and technical skills education. The board approved the agenda with added resolutions recognizing CTE Month, Black History Month, and a family engagement update, positioning that topic before instructional reports.
Board members and administrators celebrated perfect attendance for more than 300 students during the first semester, praising families and school staff for cultivating environments that make students want to be present.
“Our attendance is going in the right way,” the presenter noted, calling the milestone “exceptional.”
Athletic honors included a spotlight on volleyball standout Kendra Dressler, recognized as District Player of the Year, Region 3C Player of the Year, and First Team All-State for a second consecutive year. Mr. Dobbs lauded her accomplishments within what they described as one of the state’s toughest regions. The district also commended the community support that has eased the post consolidation transition in athletics.
CTE excellence at JRTC A centerpiece of the meeting was an instructional spotlight from the Jackson River Technical Center (JRTC), where Principal Kraft and advisors detailed deep student leadership development through CTSOs “Career and Technical Student Organizations,” including SkillsUSA, HOSA Future Health Professionals, FCCLA, and DECA. The presentation highlighted a video compilation of student activities over the last two-plus years and a long record of competitive success across trade and health science pathways.
Recent wins included district championships in welding, carpentry, and electrical construction; state titles in welding and HOSA events, and national placements for JRTC competitors. One student, Davin May, placed ninth in the nation in welding last summer. Faculty emphasized that CTSO participation is “cocurricular,” reinforcing both technical skills and soft skills, professionalism, leadership, and community service, through conferences and competitions.
The advisors underscored significant costs for state and national travel, noting that while CTSOs are required by code for CTE programs, there is “zero overhead funding” dedicated to them. Fundraising, Student Activities funds, family contributions, and generous local industry donors, such as Williams Fabrication (formerly Jen Fab), SJ Neathawk, WestRock, and Gala Industries, bridge the gap. Boardmember Bob Umstead encouraged JRTC to present a formal budget request for CTSO support, drawing a comparison to athletic stipends and travel. Mr. Kraft stated with appreciation that such a request will be forthcoming.
Beyond SkillsUSA and HOSA, the school recognized a growing footprint in competitions, including cabinetmaking, and announced a newly formed chapter of the National Technical Honor Society, celebrating its inaugural class last year and planning a second induction on January 30 at noon. The board and presenters discussed compiling a “wish list” of materials (e.g., metals, wiring, breakers) to facilitate in-kind donations from area businesses.
In a special presentation, Mrs. Morgan outlined how family engagement practices have evolved since 2020. Pre-pandemic, connections centered on in-person or phone conferences within narrow time windows, often excluding families due to jobs, transportation, childcare, or geography. Today, AHPS employs flexible, ongoing communication, in-person meetings, phone calls, Zoom/Google Meet sessions, and outreach that prioritizes attendance, social-emotional needs, and early intervention alongside grades.
“Family engagement is not an event; it is an ongoing relationship between home and school,” Mrs. Morgan said, adding that flexible scheduling and virtual access allow involvement from caregivers beyond parents, including grandparents, foster families, and nonlocal parents, whom can now use tools like The Virginian Review’s YouTube/Facebook to watch their loved ones participate in Alleghany High School sports.
An example she cited was calling families about afterschool tutoring forms; administrators found that nearly all parents already understood why their child had been referred, evidence of consistent teacher communication earlier in the year. Vice Chair Jay Woodson encouraged the collection of “hard data” on engagement, contact rates, and the efficacy of outreach to measure impact and inform future improvements.
The board received an early update on the state revenue picture under the governor’s proposed biennium budget, with staff characterizing this phase as “early in the budget season.” Using an Average Daily Membership (ADM) of 2,545 as a planning figure, finance staff said they do not currently anticipate significant increases in state funding.
Members discussed rising health insurance costs; one estimate cited was “at least +10%” to the dismay of Mr. Umstead. Jay Woodson suggested the need to broaden public advertising of budget hearings to boost the public’s participation, as this discussion on the 2026–2027 operating budget drew no public speakers, the board closed the hearing after a brief discussion on outreach.
As far as approvals and the calendar:
Approved minutes and routine consent items, including reviews of bills and student travel for JRTC HOSA events in Stafford, Oxon Hill (Md.), and Roanoke (Va.).
Adopted the 2026–2027 Program of Studies for Covington Middle School and Alleghany High School, emphasizing that the catalog is a “living document” responsive to demand, staffing, and partnerships with Mountain Gateway Community College and regional programs.
Approved posting of School Support Plans (formerly CSIPs) for all schools, highlighting active, regularly updated plans at Mountain View and Jeter Watson Elementary that have guided instruction since fall.
Proclaimed February as CTE Month, with JRTC planning a public Open House on Feb. 27 (morning and afternoon sessions). The resolution cited CTE’s role in workforce readiness and industry-recognized credentials across high-demand fields such as advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, healthcare, IT, and transportation.
Adopted a Black History Month resolution aligned to the 2026 centennial theme “a century of Black History commemorations,” encouraging schoolwide learning activities and community participation throughout February and across the year.
A companion memo summarized planned school campaigns.
Early childhood and community partnerships staff presented an overview of early childhood programs, from the state’s Virginia Preschool Initiative to Early Childhood Special Education with peer inclusion and the Alleghany Highlands Early Learning Partnership. The summary emphasized regional collaboration, including curriculum alignment with YMCA preschool programs and invitations for YMCA staff to join AHPS professional development. The board discussed the potential for deeper collaboration and acknowledged capacity constraints in community childcare. Kindergarten registration messaging is underway.
Looking ahead The calendar includes the VSBA Capital Conference (Jan. 26), a budget work session (Feb. 2), regular meetings (Feb. 16; March 16), a budget meeting (March 2), spring break closures (Mar. 5–6; Apr. 3–7 for schools and offices), and the VSBA Blue Ridge Spring Network Forum (Apr. 14). Throughout the session, board members repeatedly tied recognition and policy actions to AHPS’s broader goals: improving attendance, expanding career pathways, strengthening homeschool partnerships, and aligning resources to student need. As one member summarized during the CTE segment, robust local support, financial and in-kind, remains critical to sustaining the high level of student opportunity that AHPS displayed throughout the meeting.
To watch the meeting: https://youtube.com/live/Sg5hT8ThIPM?feature=share.
