On Tuesday, April 21, the monthly SBDM meeting took place. They discussed SBDM Student Spotlight, Manual’s Racial Equity and reviewed three policies first considered during the March SBDM meeting.
Principal Michael Newman began the meeting with the monthly SBDM Student Spotlight. Four students were recognized for their achievements in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Mira Matthews (12, VA) won a Silver Key for her sculpture portfolio. Fahmeeda Mohammad (12, MST) won a Silver Medal for her mixed media artwork. Blake Sanders (11, J&C) earned a Gold Medal in the Poetry category, and Ella Mangeot (11, J&C) earned a Silver Medal in the Speculative Fiction category. Manual earned 25 Gold Key awards at the regional level.
As of April 17, 2026, Manual has completed 119 Racial Equity walkthroughs. Out of all observed classrooms, 55% utilized one of three focus strategies: for lessons to reflect diverse cultures and students’ own and others’ experiences as well as content validating underrepresented individual/group perspectives.
Next, the SBDM reviewed current job openings. Manual is looking to interview for an Athletic Director and Assistant Principal (YPAS). There are also openings for a math teacher, social studies teacher and English teacher.
Additionally, chronic absenteeism has reduced from 228 students in 2025 to 199 students in April 2026. Chronic absenteeism is often defined as students who miss around 10% of school days during a single academic year.
As discussed during the March SBDM meeting, the Java Programming course will no longer be available to students. The SBDM approved AP Cybersecurity as its replacement, which is a College Board class that aligns closely with first-year collegiate cybersecurity coursework.
Finally, the SBDM completed their second review of the attendance, make-up work and personal telecommunication and electronic device policies. These policies were originally addressed during the March SBDM meeting. All policies are now in effect.
The next SBDM meeting will occur on May 12, 2026 at 3 p.m.
