School Board Responsibilities

Good morning friends and neighbors,

I am seeing and hearing questions about many issues of concern for our families in the Aquia district and I want to make sure everyone understands what the school board can, and can't, do.

The full list of the school board duties and responsibilities can be found at this link:

https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/scpsva/Board.nsf/files/DB928800D5CF/$file/2.%20Policy%201103-P%20(Board%20Authority%2C%20Duties%2C%20%26%20Responsibility).pdf

Responsibility #2 states It is the school board's responsibility to adopt policies to control all aspects of the division’s operations within the limits of the law;

The important thing to note is that I, if elected, and the board as a whole, cannot institute a policy that runs counter to established Virginia law. For example, regardless of an individual board member's personal views on the issue, Virginia Law states that attendance in school is compulsory from ages 5 to 18, or until completion of an approved program.

That's law. So if the board wanted to change Stafford Schools compulsory ages to 5 to 16, they would not be able to. To propose that change would be fruitless.

If elected, I won't waste our (or your) valuable time on things we can't change. I will spend 100% of my time on issues on which we can effect change, all for the betterment of our students.