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Franklin City Public Schools work session, Oct 1, 2026

2 h 04 min · 0 public speakers

Budget cuts and layoffs ▶ 16:00Reading and test scores ▶ 16:00

This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 2 h 04 min.

  1. Who spoke · first speaks at
  6. Wydia BaileyBoard Chair
What happened

What happened at this meeting

Franklin City School Board approves local gifted education plan for 2026 through 2031 8:00

  • The board approved a local plan for the education of gifted students for 2026 through 2031 after a district staff member said the plan adds a talent development program for students in grades K through 2. 5:08
  • The interim superintendent reported that freezing central office positions would save $271,417 and, asked by Wydia Bailey about the district's finances, said the figure is about $1.2 million. 16:00
  • One board member said some of the minutes were not accurately recorded and said of the consent agenda that the vote would be no. 29:53
  • After a closed session, the board approved the personnel agenda with the addition of line item number 13. 1:54:47

Until Nov 4, lines where a board member takes a side don't name the member. Why →

Item by item (11)
  1. Opening and agenda approval 0:00
    • A staff member called the roll. ~0:15
    • A motion was made to approve the agenda with an amendment adding a brief presentation from the board. 0:41
    • The agenda motion was approved. 1:13
  2. Welcome of interim superintendent 1:13
    • On behalf of the board, a speaker welcomed the new interim superintendent and thanked the staff member who had stepped in during the transition period. 2:05
    • Wydia Bailey said the interim superintendent had served in every position in a school division except special education. 2:56
  3. Local gifted education plan 4:33
    • A district staff member said the plan is updated every 5 years, was presented at a gifted advisory meeting on September 16th, and would allow testing to start in November instead of April. 5:08
    • Ellis Cofield III asked whether the board was approving a template, and the staff member said the board was approving the plan on a state-required template for the Virginia Department of Education. 8:17
    • One board member said the effort to identify students as early as possible was appreciated. 9:36
    • The motion to approve the plan passed. 10:20
  4. Greenhouse agreement with Virginia State University 10:21
    • A district staff member said an MOU with Virginia State University would provide support for the greenhouse for the next 3 years and make it a demonstration site. 10:21
    • The staff member said the agreement needed only the board chair's signature and no motion. 10:21
    • Lamont HIll said the paperwork listed the $1,500 payment as quarterly, and the staff member confirmed it is quarterly. 14:50
  5. Interim superintendent's report 15:57
    • The interim superintendent said school performance data would be released to the public on October the 7th and that the district received a security grant of $150,568 for projects at S.P. Morton and Franklin High School. 16:00
    • The interim superintendent said the district has 12 teaching vacancies and a total enrollment of 1,036 students. 16:00
    • The interim superintendent said central office positions were frozen for savings of $271,417 and the coordinator of human resource and special projects coordinator positions were eliminated. 21:58
  6. Board questions on staffing and finances 23:34
    • In response to Wydia Bailey, the interim superintendent said there are 4 kindergarten classes with 2 vacancies and that the December audit would take approximately 1 month. 23:34
    • The interim superintendent said the hiring freeze would help the financial figure by keeping the district from going into a deeper deficit. 25:17
    • Wydia Bailey asked whether the district had enough schools for new housing developments, and the interim superintendent said it does. 26:21
  7. Consent agenda 29:25
    • One board member said some of the minutes were not accurately recorded and planned to vote no on the consent agenda. 29:53
    • The motion to approve the consent agenda failed. 32:00
  8. Closed session 32:00
    • A motion was made to enter closed session to discuss matters related to new hires, supplemental employment and separations. 32:10
    • The board came out of closed session and approved the certification of the closed meeting. 1:53:25
  9. Personnel agenda 1:54:41
    • A motion was made to approve the entire personnel agenda with the addition of line item number 13. 1:54:47
    • The motion was approved. ~1:55:12
  10. Board and superintendent comments 1:55:12
    • Ellis Cofield III encouraged parents to attend Touch Base next week. 1:55:22
    • One board member compared the transition to the beginning of a marriage and said everyone would be needed, and another board member said it had been one of the easiest transitions they had been part of. 1:55:55
    • The interim superintendent pledged to be transparent and to improve the quality of education while maintaining budget restraints. 1:59:21
  11. Adjournment 2:03:44
    • A motion to adjourn was made and seconded. 2:03:47
    • The motion was approved and the meeting adjourned. 2:04:04

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

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Video: posted by the district as “October 1, 2026 School Board Work Session”