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July 26, 2016
<br />
<br />At a Regular Meeting of the City Council on Tuesday, July 26, 2016, there were
<br />present:
<br />
<br />Mayor Kenneth I. Wright, Vice Mayor Elizabeth M. Psimas, William E. Moody, Jr., Paige
<br />D. Cherry, Dr. Curtis E. Edmonds, Sr., Danny W. Meeks, Dr. Mark M. Whitaker, City
<br />Manager Dr. L. Pettis Patton, City Attorney Solomon H. Ashby, Jr.
<br />
<br />Councilman Curtis E. Edmonds, Sr., opened the meeting with prayer, which was
<br />followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
<br />
<br /> Mayor Wright called the meeting to order and welcomed all in attendance.
<br />
<br /> Motion by Dr. Edmonds, and seconded by Mr. Moody, to approve the minutes of
<br />a Called Meeting of July 12, 2016, and of a Regular Meeting of July 12, 2016, and was
<br />adopted by the following vote:
<br />
<br />Ayes: Cherry, Edmonds, Meeks, Moody, Psimas, Whitaker, Wright
<br />Nays: None
<br />
<br />- City Manager’s Report -
<br />
<br />16 - 231 - Adoption of an ordinance to appropriate the sum of $30,000 in the
<br />Technology classification of the FY 2017 Grant Fund budget for the Portsmouth
<br />Public Schools.
<br />Vision Principles: Enhanced Quality of Life and Lifelong
<br />.
<br />Learning Community
<br />
<br />Background:
<br />
<br /> §22.1-91 of the Code of Virginia 1950 states, “No school board shall expend or
<br />contract to expend, in any fiscal year, any sum of money in excess of the funds
<br />available for school purposes for that fiscal year without consent of the governing body
<br />or bodies appropriating funds to the school board.”
<br />
<br />Discussion:
<br />
<br /> On May 27, 2016, Superintendent Memo 135-16 was issued which awarded
<br />$840,000 to the School Board from the state VPSA Educational Technology Notes
<br />Series XVI grant. The School Board originally estimated this award to be $810,000 in
<br />the original FY 2016 grant budget. As such, $810,000 of the $840,000 was already
<br />appropriated to the School Board by the City of Portsmouth (City). An additional
<br />$30,000 is being requested for appropriation.
<br />
<br /> The VPSA grant is a multi-year grant. The VPSA series XVI grant is for a period
<br />of 5 years. This grant is also a reimbursable grant as such expenditures are incurred
<br />upfront and then submitted for reimbursement from the grant before grant revenue is
<br />received.
<br />
<br /> Due to the timing of this appropriation request (in relation to the fiscal year end of
<br />June 30, 2016), the School Board is requesting the additional funds be appropriated to
<br />FY2017 instead of FY2016.
<br />
<br /> The goal of the educational technology grant program is to improve the
<br />instructional, remedial, and testing capabilities of the SOL in local school divisions and
<br />to increase the number of schools achieving full accreditation. Proceeds of the Series
<br />XVI notes are provided to:
<br />
<br />1. Establish a computer-based instructional and testing system for the SOL;
<br />2. Develop an Internet ready local area network (LAN) capability and high speed
<br />Internet connectivity at high schools, followed by middle schools and then in elementary
<br />schools; and
<br />3. Establish a 5-to-1 student computer ratio for high schools, followed by middle
<br />schools and then in elementary schools.
<br />
<br />
<br /> The VPSA grant requires a 20% local match. The School Board will fund the
<br />local match by using existing budget authority in the FY2017 School Board General
<br />Fund.
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