INSIDE Goochland resident working to honor local public safety workers > page 6
Volume 65, Number 32 • August 6, 2020
School board delays vote on virtual opening to school year
Campus conundrum Despite lingering uncertainty as start of school nears, local soon-to-be college students trying not to let threat of virus dampen their enthusiasm By Roslyn Ryan Editor
F
or Goochland resident Kindrick Braxton, earning a college degree has always been part of the plan. It’s why he worked so hard for the past four years, earning his advanced diploma as a member of Goochland High School’s Class of 2020 while also starring on the Bulldogs’ varsity football team. It’s why he visited several schools in order to find just the right fit, eventually deciding on Christopher Newport University in see Campus > 3
Decision to vote Aug. 11 comes after parents and students demand schools offer in-person learning from start of school year By Roslyn Ryan Editor
After a three-hour meeting that saw dozens of local parents and students voice their support for an in-person learning option at the start of the coming school year, Goochland County School Board members ultimately decided that delaying the decision until the board’s Aug. 11 meeting was the only appropriate action. The special meeting, which was held at Goochland High School on Monday night, had been scheduled in order to allow board members to vote on new plan for the start of the 2020-2021 school year, one that differed from a plan presented and agreed upon on July 14. The original plan had outlined an opening strategy that allowed for students who chose to come back to school to have two days of in-person instructional time supplemented by virtual learning, while also permitting students to select a virtual-only option if they preferred. As Goochland School Superintendent Dr. Jeremy Raley shared Monday night, however, recent data has led school officials to move toward see Schools > 2