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Montgomery County students could graduate with an associate of arts degree from New River Community College under an agreement in the works now.

On Tuesday, the school board will hear about a dual-enrollment plan called "College Zone" for juniors and seniors. The idea is to amp up the number of dual-enrollment credits - up to 62 hours of transferrable credit -- for students.

Potential courses include:

• English 11 & 12
• US history & government
• pre-calculus
• Weight Training
• Music appreciation
• Principles of economics
• public speaking

Students would have to have a 3.0 gpa and completed Algebra II to be elgible, according to a slideshow to be presented to school board members.

The board meets 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

When Fred Morton leaves Henrico County Schools, he'll take over the helm of the Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies.

Morton preceded Superintendent Tiffany Anderson.

A full story is here.

A former substitute teacher's aide at Christiansburg High School has filed a defamation suit against Montgomery County Public Schools.

Christine Golding worked as an aide from Jan 2006 through her termination in Feb. 2007.

According to the complaint filed in Federal District Court on Friday, she was fired on Feb. 8, 2007, after CHS assistant principal Michael Stanley asserted that, she had "called groups of alleged unidentified CHS students 'stupid' and 'retarded'."

The complaint also says that Stanley alleged Golding had "abandoned an alleged unidentified CHS special needs students in a bathroom."

Golding's complaint says that those statements, as well as further statements made by Mark Pasier, director of Human Resources, are defamatory. Both Stanley and Pasier are named directly in the complaint.

The suit alleges the statements have kept her from obtaining work, causing economic strife.

"When seeking employment, at in any school or anywhere else I have been told that I must divulge the reason for my leaving my last job," the complaint states. "Thus, I immediatlely am required to put my character in question to any employer."

The complaint does not list a monetary sum sought. As of now, Golding is representing herself.

You can see a complete copy of the complaint here.

From Superintendent Tiffany Anderson:

"The SMS students and staff have returned to their building.  The smoke was contained to the gymnasium.  It was determined that the smoke resulted from a motor overheating in the gym.  There was no fire, and the fire department has officially cleared the building for students and staff."

Students at Shawsville Middle School have been sent to a nearby United Methodist Church because of "smoke in one area" of the school, according to an e-mail sent to parents.

The fire department has been notified, and there is there is no evidence of a fire. Firefighters believe the smoke may be "the result of a mechanical issue in the building," the note said.

The fire department is checking the entire people before students can return.

The following is Superintendent Tiffany Anderson's full note:

"As a result of smoke in one area of Shawsville Middle School, the principal evacuated the building and notified the fire department.  There is no evidence of a fire and it is believed that the smoke may be the result of a mechanical issue in the building.  However, the fire department is assessing the entire building prior to allowing students to return.  Therefore, the principal has escorted the SMS students to the neighboring United Methodist Church to ensure that students are adequately accommodated while the fire department completes their assessment of the building."

Here's a look a the boundary changes that Pulaski's school board is considering. The  changes would close Newbern Elementary.

A public hearing is scheduled for March 5.

A redistricting plan in Pulaski County's school system would mean closing Newbern Elementary.

Superintendent Don Stowers told board members today they could meet  new "seating capacity targets" at each of the county's six elementaries by closing the one.

"When we began building Riverlawn Elementary School, we knew that we would have to adjust our attendance boundaries among the various elementary schools," Stowers told board members.

Newbern has 112 students, according to figures compiled on Jan. 30. Under the plans for redistricting, the schools would have the following targets:

• Critzer Elementary - 425
• Dublin Elementary - 475
• Pulaski Elementary - 550
• Riverlawn Elementary - 500
• Snowville Elementary - 200

That's 43 fewer students than the current county enrollment of 2,107.

To reach the capacities, Stowers suggested shifting 387 students to different schools by:

• Moving 43 students from Critzer to Pulaski
• Moving 27 studeets from Newbern to Critzer
• Moving 75 students from Pulaski to Critzer
• Moving 161 students from Dublin to Riverlawn
• Moving 81 students from Newbern to Dublin

Those changes would mean each school falls short of the total seating capacity, but would still likely change class sizes at some schools.

A public hearing on the boundary changes is slated for March 5.vThe new Riverlawn Elementary is scheduled for an opening date of March 23.

You can read more about the proposal in Saturday's New River Valley Current.

Pulaski County's school board will convene today at 4:30 for its regular meeting. The meeting will be at 202 N. Washington Ave., Pulaski

On the agenda is:

• Action on Reduction in work force policy
• Revisions to Pulaski High exam format
• Update on Riverlawn Elementary

• Boundary adjustments to meet seating capacity at the new Riverlawn Elementary

Plans are to :

1. Move 43 students from Critzer to Pulaski.
2. Move 27 students from Newbern to Critzer.
3. Move 75 students from Pulaski to Critzer.
4. Move 161 students from Dublin to Riverlawn.
5. Move 81 students from Newbern to Dublin.

Parents phoning Montgomery County's information line may have wondered what "extenuating" circumstances closed schools this morning.

Well, it was snow fall and black ice, Superintendent Tiffany Anderson said.

Anderson woke up this morning before 4 a.m. to get on the roads to check for their safety. After a first drive, she decided to put schools on a two-hour delay. But, in an e-mail message to subscribers, she advised checking back for a potential closure.

"“After snowfall began in parts of the county, particularly in the areas of higher elevation, we recognized that the snow was freezing upon contact given the low temperatures and this created hazardous road conditions,” she said later on.  Therefore, when we reassessed the roads by driving them again at 6 a.m. as we normally do when there is a delay, we found areas of black ice and continued snowfall.”

This is the second time this year that schools have been shut down after an initial two-hour delay. Anderson admits it's not ideal, but she said it's sometimes needed.

If students don't miss any more days of school this year, they'll be out for the summer by June 8. The district's calendar has six built-in snow days to accomodate inclement weather.

Montgomery County's school board will present a $93,807,307 operating budget to the Board of Supervisors on Monday.

School board members said they recognize money is tight, and they fully expect supervisors to suggest changes to the budget

As approved, the 2009-2010 operating budget freezes hiring of 28 classroom teachers, but maintains athletic trainer supplements, gifted coordinators and teachers, library aides and full 10.5 month contracts for Technology Resource Teachers.