The Williamsburg Board of Education met for its regularly scheduled meeting on Dec. 16 to recognize staff and students, and highlight student performance.
Superintendent Tabetha Housekeeper recognized several educators with the “Going the Extra Mile” Award, which is awarded based on anonymous submissions from other educators, students, or community members who identify staff members making significant contributions to the school system and their students.
The first educator recognized was Amy Jones for her guidance, support, and unconditional love for her students. She was described as someone who “leads with heart and serves with purpose.” Jones is a newer educator who just recently transitioned from the classroom to the counseling world.
The second educator recognized was Christy Stewart for her resilience and being there for others, even when she is struggling herself. She was described as personable, transparent, professional, and accepting.
The third educator recognized was Sarah Smith for her “complicated position last year”, as Housekeeper explained. Smith was teaching high school English, high school Science, and middle school English. This year, she is teaching just middle school English. Smith was described as an educator who cares about the whole child and is celebrated for her collaborative spirit.
The fourth educator recognized was eighth-grade science teacher Megan Nichols. Nichols was recognized for coordinating with teachers on a field trip with the Challenger Learning Center and for creating student experiences and relationships.
The fifth educator recognized was Shawna Norris for her organization, communication, and work on middle school lunch duty. Norris was commended for the many hats she wears in the school.
Student leaders were also recognized for assisting with the second-grade Angel Play under the direction of Susanna Rice.
Assistant Principal Stephen Moses presented an elementary “data dive” that included MAP reading fluency, KSA performance, and teacher feedback gathered during a district data day.
Regarding elementary student performance on MAP reading fluency, an average kindergarten student at Williamsburg City School is meeting grade-level equivalency in phonics, word recognition, and language comprehension, but still needs work in phonological awareness.
In first grade, the teachers were celebrated for their focus on phonological awareness. The average first-grade student scored above proficiency in phonological awareness and at or above grade level with phonics, word recognition, and language comprehension.
The average second grader was described as a “little more impressive” because they scored eleven points above proficiency in phonological awareness, as well as meeting grade level for phonics, word recognition, and language comprehension. To note, a proficiency rating is 50, and the average second grader scored 71 in phonological awareness, 50 in phonics and word recognition, and 57 in language comprehension.
Moses noted that KSA reading and math status scores declined compared to the previous year, from a 72.6 to a 61.4, but remain “well above the state average” for reading and math at the elementary level.
The school’s focus will be on reducing novice rates and improving test scores.
During Data Day, instructional staff focused on how they could respond to the data. Moses said he collected teacher feedback in response to the question, “What specific actions can we take to increase student learning and support the well-being of students?”
The comments were grouped into big ideas, including educational disruptions, alternate settings, safety, accountability, exit criteria, instruction, social and emotional learning (SEL), motivation, and behavior.
The district plans to use this data to strengthen tier one instruction and include social-emotional learning interventions.
Teachers documented loss of instructional time due to educational disruption, and at the elementary level, 5,409 minutes and 689 instances, primarily due to student behavior.
“There’s nothing more important than a teacher,” said Housekeeper. “What we often do is listen to those teachers.” Housekeeper continued, emphasizing support for the teachers.
Middle school leadership gave a snapshot of key items driving student growth and school climate.
MAP scores in math and reading have increased, and fewer students performed at the novice level in science, from 42 percent to 29 percent.
SEL lessons have become a weekly topic on Wednesdays for students, as well as a three-week character-strong rotation in hopes of improving school climate.
Behavior and mental health concerns are ongoing challenges that impact attendance, engagement, and learning, specifically bullying, physical aggression, and disruptive behavior.
Students are spending less than 30 seconds on a question, resulting in lower scores.
As a response, leadership has clarified the code of conduct and standard disciplinary responses, increased targeted counseling, and behavior interventions.
For high school, it was reported that the majority of students are performing below benchmark, and math is the most significant academic need. Reading was strong in 10th grade, but there are gaps from middle to high school. A strength was post-secondary readiness, with an index score improvement of five points, from 83 to 88.
Professional Learning Communities (PLC) are improving assessment quality.
High school leadership plans to show students these scores compared to those of surrounding schools, encouraging them to try more and, hopefully, increase motivation.
IEP trainings are encouraged for teachers, not because they don’t know how to implement them, but because they just need to be taught how to do it better.
A student survey was conducted, and results showcased that students generally felt safe and supported by adults. The survey also reflected inconsistent levels of academic challenges, engagement, and fairness.
Moving on, at the last board meeting, the board members tabled a discussion on clarifications to the student handbook regarding field trip expectations. The concern was that students who are failing classes should not miss more instruction time. Principal Ashley Partin included a clarifying statement indicating that she or the assistant principal would have the final say after discussions with the teacher and the child.
The board elected Kim Williams as board chairman, and the motion was approved.
The board elected board vice chairman Donnie Patrick to serve for the 2026 school year.
The board also approved meeting dates for Jan. through Dec. of 2026, with meetings continuing on the third Tuesday of each month through March, then changing to the third Thursday of each month.
The board approved matching the offer of assistance, totaling $8,087 from district general funds, and approved paying a $2,500 monthly retainer fee for legal services provided by the law offices of Crowley and Foley beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
The board then entered executive session and later made a motion to approve early graduation for three high school seniors who have completed all required graduation credits.
Finance Officer Dalton Sizemore reported tax collections have “been strong” and the district’s collection percentage was about 45 percent as of the middle of Dec.
