MONTEREY - Parents expressed concern about the lack of special education teachers, especially at the high school, at the Highland County School Board meeting Tuesday. After the meeting, the school's website listed two open special education positions - a high school special education teacher and a high school special education instructional aide.

The national debate over whether parents should be allowed to censor certain books from classrooms and libraries has spilled over into Fauquier County, and parents have begun using School Board meetings to not only air their grievances, but also to propose bans of their own.

The search continues for a new superintendent of Spotsylvania County schools, School Board Chair Kirk Twigg said during Monday's School Board meeting. Twigg officially introduced new interim superintendent Kelly Guempel to the public early in the meeting. Guempel has been principal of Spotsylvania High School for four years and was appointed interim superintendent June 21.

The Roanoke School Board adopted new safety measures to address the possibility of gun violence and other threats in schools Tuesday. The vote was 7-0 to spend $1.7 million for equipment and new personnel. Establishing a "tip line system" monitored around the clock to enable anyone to call, text or email information about any serious safety threat.

BRISTOL, Va. - The transformation of the Van Pelt Elementary campus to accommodate a new city intermediate school is well underway with more milestones planned next week.

HANOVER, Va. (WWBT) - Hanover County has finalized the design and construction of a new elementary school. The new school will consolidate Henry Clay and John M. Gandy elementary schools. The renderings for the school were given to the school board during its Tuesday night meeting.

STAUNTON - Staunton City Schools updated its student handbook and code of conduct Monday night with the approval of the school board. Among the changes that may cause the most concern for students is a restriction on cell phone use in the classroom.

The Lynchburg City School Board held its annual reorganizational meeting Tuesday night, reappointing James Coleman to the position of chairman and naming Dr. Robert Brennan as vice chair for the 2022-23 school year. The school board unanimously approved the appointments following a closed session to discuss the positions.

The Virginia NAACP has taken issue with two school board members' comments. During Monday's Madison County School Board Meeting, resident and former political candidate Annette Hyde read a statement issued by the Virginia State Conference NAACP condemning comments made by school board members Christopher Wingate and Charles Sheads.

The Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors discussed options to pay for upgrades to the county's three aging elementary schools - Chase City, Clarksville and La Crosse - during Monday's monthly board meeting in Boydton.

A boom of new students from outside the United States into Henrico County Public Schools prompted an expansion of the school division's summer program for English learners. In a music class at Holladay Elementary School on Wednesday morning, rising first-graders took turns playing the xylophone and practicing singing "hello" to their teacher, Johnathan Coward.

Halifax County Public Schools is working on beefing up safety measures. School board members at a Monday evening meeting received an update on those safety improvement efforts as well as the process of hiring a security services provider.