CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The Charlottesville School Board will begin the new year with a test run of a new, later start time for its regular public meetings in an attempt to draw better attendance.

Meetings on Jan. 8, Feb. 5, and March 5 will start at 6 p.m. start time instead of what has previously been 5 p.m.

School Board Chair Emily Dooley told Cville Right Now board members started talking about experimenting with this new time during the second half of last year.

“We’ve received some feedback from some parents and community members that a 5 p.m. start can be challenging to get from work, get kids home and settled, and then be able to make it to our meetings,’ Dooley said.

She said the board realizes there isn’t a start time that will work for everyone, but believes the later start could help engagement.

“We’re trying to allow as many people who want to participate as possible, so we’re giving this later start time a try,” Dooley said.

The meetings are usually the first Thursday of every month at the Booker T. Reaves Media Center at Charlottesville High School.

Community members can also watch via Zoom with a registration link sent monthly to staff, families, and CHS students, and to subscribers of School Board notices.

In addition, the notice is posted to the division’s website.

One can also watch on the Cville Schools Facebook page both live and archived, on the Charlottesville City Schools YouTube channel, on TV at Education Channel 14 (Comcast Channel 14 in Charlottesville).

They are also rebroadcast on Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 12 and 7 p.m. of the same week as the meeting, and throughout the following month.

Public comment at meetings can be delivered in person of via Zoom, or by emailing the board.

“We’re not putting a priority on in-person versus virtual,” Dooley said. “I think all of these different data points will go into informing further discussion on when the board meets.”