Henrico supervisors, School Board to host joint work session June 23

The Henrico Board of Supervisors and Henrico School Board will host a joint work session June 23 at 5 p.m. at Glen Allen High School in the commons area, during the time slot when supervisors typically would host their own work session prior to their regular public meeting.

On the agenda:

• an update about school reopening plans and COVID-19 in general;
• discussion of the county’s school resource officer program;
• a capital improvement program update about planned and ongoing facilities construction.

Members of the public are permitted to attend, though there will not be an opportunity for public comment. Social distancing requirements will be observed.

The meeting also will be streamed live through Webex.

In a Facebook group for Virginians who support the full reopening of school in the fall, a number of parents and students from Henrico have indicated that they plan to attend to the meeting with signs to show their support for a full reopening.

The School Board last week discussed three tentative plans for in-person learning – each a hybrid, four-days-per-week instructional plan through which students who opted in would spend half their learning time at school and the other half at home. Separately, students and families could opt out of in-person learning and continue to learn virtually from home.

The focus of the school resource officer program discussion is unknown. Localities throughout the nation are weighing whether to continue using such officers in schools, and a number have decided to pull them out in light of renewed attention stemming from the death of George Floyd in Minnesota last month and associated protests nationwide. Whether Henrico officials are considering the same possibility is unclear.

Those who attend the meeting Tuesday should use the back entrance to the school, at 10700 Staples Mill Road, and enter the building at the bus loop.