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At least for now, Prince Edward County Public Schools won’t change the date or location of their main school board meetings. That could change in the future. During their Jan. 15 meeting, members had discussed doing both, partly to make it easier to host students and their families. 

“It’s difficult getting pictures, it’s difficult getting handshakes,” said school board member J. Harvey Tackett. He pointed out that when honoring students, it would be good for the superintendent and school board chair, as well as the vice chair to be included. However, that’s hard to do in the current facility. He proposed for meetings where students are being honored, why not hold the meeting in a larger building? 

Tackett’s fellow board member Cainan Townsend went a step further, suggesting that the group consider holding all meetings in a larger venue. The current school board room, he said, could be set aside for small meetings, interviews and student discipline. 

Try to get people to show up for board meetings

The goal here, Tackett and Townsend said, was to try and get more people to come out to meetings and to have enough space to accommodate entire teams or classes when they are being honored, without requiring other groups to wait outside in the hallway. 

The idea of moving all meetings was opposed by Dr. Timothy Corbett, who felt it was important to keep meetings at the school board office. 

“I like the idea of having our school board meetings at the school board office,” Corbett said. “I appreciate coming to the school board building and having our school board meetings. I think that would be a major change, going away from the school board itself.”

Plus, he added, students like coming to the school board offices, so they can be honored where governance occurs. 

A majority of the board agreed with Corbett, at least about keeping the regular board meetings in the same place. School board chair Lucy Carson directed interim superintendent Dr. Joseph Cox to look for sites that could be available for bigger meetings and report back. 

Prince Edward school board picks a day 

Tackett also asked the school board to consider choosing a different day of the week for meetings. He pointed out that the Farmville town council meets on the exact same day of the month. Also, Wednesday nights are a time many residents attend church so they’re unable to attend. 

“On Wednesdays, there’s just a lot of activities in the community, church and other types of activities that do occur,” Tackett said. “(A change) would give all of our stakeholders and community, parents, family members, an opportunity to come to our board meetings.” 

 A majority of board members rejected the idea, with Corbett pointing out it would be challenging for him to change days, as he blocks off time with this specific day from his medical practice, saying Mondays and Tuesdays are his busiest days. Tackett suggested Thursdays and the board majority rejected that idea as well.