Education

Galax City Council has voted unanimously to hold over the request for a decision on the school board’s conditional use permit for a new school until September.
In the meantime, council plans to meet with the school board and and continue discussions.
The motion at council’s May 27 meeting also included an agreement consider other sites for a new elementary and middle school building.
A related issue addressed at the council meeting was the alleged conflict of interest regarding members of the Galax Planning Commission.

INDEPENDENCE — Grayson County School Board members on May 12 questioned student and teacher accountability in the digital conversion plan, which aims to supply a laptop computer to every student in grades 4-12 over the course of the next few years.
Superintendent Kevin Chalfant said during his report that the division expects to put out bids for laptops soon and select a brand for the digital conversion.

HILLSVILLE — A continuous abuse of Carroll County Public Schools’ student meal charges has forced officials to consider changing their sky’s-the-limit policy on school lunches.
Finance Manager and School Board Clerk Tammy Quesenberry aired her concerns to the Carroll County School Board at the May 13 meeting, by explaining that the total outstanding balance for student meal charges grows more and more outrageous each year.

“As all of you know, this is a very unique budget year,” said Galax School Superintendent Bill Sturgill, addressing the school board members in a budget session, prior to the main meeting, on Tuesday night.