Newsroom

YCSDigest - November 9, 2023

Operating Budget Forums

York County School Division values input and feedback from families, staff and community members. As we begin developing our FY25 Operating Budget, we want you to help shape our budget priorities. We’ve scheduled two community sessions in November to gather your ideas and questions regarding the division’s budget.

FY25 Budget Sessions:

• Tuesday, November 14 - Grafton Middle
• Thursday, November 16 - Magruder Elementary

Both sessions are scheduled from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

If you are not able to attend, you can share your thoughts online through December 1. Your input is not just welcomed, it's essential for our collective success.

Budget Input

My Stop App

The division has been notified of intermittent issues with the My Stop app, affecting some families' ability to accurately track buses and estimated bus stop arrival times. We understand the frustration this may be causing families using the app and have reached out to the company to seek resolution. As a reminder, YCSD encourages all bus riders to be at their bus stop at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled time as traffic and other factors can affect the actual route times.

YCSD Teachers of the Year

The York County School Division is proud to recognize the finalists for the YCSD Teacher of the Year:

High School Level: Shawn Bowman, Bruton High School math teacher

Middle School Level: Stephanie Pressley, Grafton Middle School reading specialist

Elementary School Level: Melissa Hendrix, Mt. Vernon Elementary School library media specialist

One of these inspirational teachers will soon be named the division-wide 2024 TowneBank Teacher of the Year. The School Board, YCSD and the York Foundation for Public Education congratulate these finalists for their role in supporting our vision of student and staff success. The names of all 19 school-based Teachers of the Year are available on the division website.

2023-24 Purple Star Schools Named

The Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact for Military Children recently announced Purple Star designations for the 2023-24 award year, adding two York County School Division (YCSD) high schools to the list this year.

Tabb High School and Grafton High School earned the award for the first time, while Dare Elementary School was recognized for the second time. Schools retain the designation for three years before being required to reapply. According to the Virginia Department of Education news release, YCSD is one of three school divisions in the state maintaining its Purple Star status this year. Learn more about the Purple Star program on the division website.

Purple Star Schools

New Look for YCSD School Websites

Last week, the division revamped all 19 school websites with a brand-new look, but there’s more to the relaunch than a simple makeover. Each site now features a user-friendly form to report student absences with ease, a secondary A/B day calendar, and a virtual assistant, affectionately named Chip by our own students through a recent social media poll. Chip is ready to provide immediate answers to your questions, any time of day or night. We hope you will find these new sites helpful and informative, so please make sure to share your feedback through Let’s Talk-AskYCSD!

Community Announcements

The York County School Division offers local businesses and organizations the opportunity to share information with students and parents regarding educational/enrichment activities, events and opportunities, which are either available to YCSD students or support division programs. These flyers are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the York County School Division or the schools, but are made available as a community service for our families.

Community announcements can also be found on the division website and each school's website.