Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Amy McClure, a Lunenburg County Public Schools (LCPS) School Board member, attended the Virginia School Boards Association’s Capital Conference held virtually Jan. 25 and 26.

The event provided an opportunity for school board members, superintendents, state delegates and senators and others to consider the major educational issues facing the 2021 General Assembly and to set up personal, virtual meetings to discuss the issues on a local level.

Attendees heard from a variety of presenters and speakers, including:

• Governor Ralph Northam

• State Senator Jennifer McClellan, Delegate Shelly Simonds and Delegate John Avoli

• Dr. Bob Holsworth, president, Virginia Tomorrow, LLC

• Chip Slaven, chief advocacy officer, National School Boards Association

• Stacy Haney and J.T. Kessler, lobbyists, Virginia School Boards Association

Those participating in the virtual session also received information from subject-area experts on a variety of topics, including the political scene in Virginia, state budget issues and legislation being considered that will have an impact on public education and school board operations. Participating school board members were provided with a tool kit containing information on setting up an efficient and productive virtual meeting with their legislators that were scheduled for day two of the conference.

“The VSBA Capital Conference was very informative,” McClure said. “I met with J.T. Kessler, VSBA government relations Specialist and Stacy Haney, VSBA chief lobbyist reviewing hot topics related to education for the 2021 session of the General Assembly.  As a community, we need to watch Senate bill 1303.  This bill allows the local school divisions in the commonwealth the choice to make in-person learning available to all students.

“We also want to encourage our senators and delegates not to change the governor’s proposed budget,” McClure said.  “Financially, the school divisions are going to have to account for learning loss, average daily membership loss and the costs of PPE.”