Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Special Meeting – October 15, 2026

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 6 p.m. in Lane Auditorium. All six supervisors were present, including Supervisor Mike Pruitt (Scottsville), who participated remotely after the board approved his remote participation. The board then entered a closed legal consultation and, after reconvening, unanimously adopted a resolution on Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) addressing mandatory reporting, transparency, accountability, and the need to restore public trust.

Closed Meeting

• The board unanimously voted to convene a closed meeting pursuant to Section 2.2-3711(A)(8) of the Code of Virginia to consult with legal counsel regarding specific legal matters requiring legal advice, including legal implications to the Board of Supervisors and Albemarle County government of current issues concerning ACPS.
• After returning to open session, the board unanimously certified that only public business matters lawfully exempted from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and identified in the motion were discussed.

Resolution Concerning Albemarle County Public Schools Issues

• The chair read a resolution in which the board expressed its commitment to student safety, well-being, and educational excellence and cited recent events including arrests of school personnel for alleged failures to comply with Virginia’s mandatory child abuse reporting laws, parental and community concerns about a reported culture of fear among employees, erosion of public trust, and information received by county police that some teachers and staff may hesitate to report suspected abuse for fear of retaliation.
• The resolution quoted Governor Abigail Spanberger as saying that she and state education leaders were focused on “the failure of leadership” in the county that allowed multiple people to take no action.
• The resolution acknowledged that the Board of Supervisors does not have legal authority to direct school board operations or compel Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) intervention, but said the board has an obligation to represent residents and ensure public institutions operate safely, lawfully, and transparently.
• The board formally affirmed its expectation that all ACPS employees strictly comply with mandated reporting laws and that no employee should fear retaliation for fulfilling legal duties that protect children.
• The board requested and expected written confirmation from the school board that adequate training, policies, protections, and anonymous reporting mechanisms are in place, and that staff know they may report suspected abuse directly to the County Department of Social Services or the statewide hotline without supervisor approval.
• The board requested transparency measures, including periodic public reporting on mandated reporter training completion, the status of interagency child abuse investigation agreements, and non-confidential aggregate reporting data.
• The board requested that the school board publicly release the non-confidential scope of the investigation approved on August 4, 2026, provide a status update, and, if necessary, initiate a more comprehensive division-wide review.
• The board requested independent review support and measurable criteria to evaluate organizational climate, psychological safety, retaliation concerns, reporting policies, administrative structures, and communication channels.
• The board requested a confidential, anonymous whistleblower reporting mechanism with retaliation protections, an independent FOIA compliance audit, and a corrective action plan for accurate and compliant FOIA processing.
• The board requested a comprehensive crisis management plan that addresses underlying problems, identifies external independent resources, defines a management structure, sets milestones, and provides regular public reporting, plus an independent assessment of the acting superintendent’s access to financial, operational, legal, and crisis management support.
• The board encouraged the school board to designate an external crisis intervention lead, define roles and responsibilities, establish implementation milestones, and provide periodic public progress updates.
• The board committed to receiving substantive periodic updates from ACPS leadership in regular board-to-board reports.
• The board formally communicated to VDOE, requesting review of ACPS compliance with mandated reporting laws and related regulations, technical assistance or monitoring support as appropriate, and expressing concern that state involvement may be necessary to ensure safety, trust, and compliance.
• The board directed the clerk to transmit the resolution to the chair of the school board, the acting superintendent of schools, the superintendent of public instruction at VDOE, the Virginia Board of Education, and the County Department of Social Services.

Supervisor Statements

• Supervisor Pruitt said he had spoken before learning of the indictment, had since learned of additional patterns and practices he found outrageous and repugnant, and supported the resolution as a way to “speak truth to power.”
• Supervisor Duncan gave a detailed statement saying many parts of ACPS have been allowed to break, including special education, achievement gaps, Title IX reporting, teacher workload, staffing, FOIA, and trust. She said ACPS is in crisis and that the problems are visible to families, state and federal representatives, the governor, the newspaper, and the commonwealth’s attorney, but not to the only people with constitutional authority to act. She praised teachers, staff, families, and community advocates and said change, accountability, and truth are required.
• Supervisor Malik thanked residents who shared concerns and said students should learn facts and skills while excellent teachers are free to teach without looking over their shoulder or fearing retaliation. She said those who created the crisis are no longer in a position to solve it.
• Supervisor Missell said the board hears parents, teachers, and community concerns; acknowledged the board’s limited legal authority but its responsibility to residents; and said the resolution addresses student safety, transparency, communication, accountability, and trust. He said the goal is not blame but meaningful action and rebuilding public trust.
• Supervisor LaPisto Kirtley, a former 34-year educator and former teacher, principal, and director of 24 elementary schools, said reporting suspected child abuse is a legal obligation, that teachers need leadership and support, that leadership demands accountability, and that children’s safety and well-being must come first.
• Chair Galloway said it was the most troubling resolution he had read or voted on in his 13 years as an elected official. As a father of three, with one child still in ACPS and two daughters, he said he was angry and sad. He said the resolution was intended as support, not a lecture, and that he and the vice chair remained committed to working with school board leadership.
• A board member briefly acknowledged what ACPS families and staff have been going through, saying that suffering needed to be recognized.

Key Outcomes

• The board unanimously approved Supervisor Pruitt’s remote participation.
• The board unanimously voted to enter the closed meeting.
• The board unanimously certified the closed meeting.
• The board unanimously adopted the resolution concerning Albemarle County Public Schools issues.
• The clerk was directed to transmit the resolution to the school board chair, acting superintendent, VDOE superintendent, Virginia Board of Education, and County Department of Social Services.
• The board adjourned to October 21, 2026, at 1 p.m. in Lane Auditorium.