TOP STORIES
School Board trims employee pay raises to 2.5%, eliminates teaching positions to reduce final budget total
By James P. Gannon
Downsizing its 2008-2009 school budget to the funding level approved by the Board of Supervisors, the Rappahannock County School Board voted Tuesday evening to trim employee pay raises, eliminate an additional full-time teaching job and reduce part-time teaching positions.
The School Board took action to cut $250,000 from the $12.1 million budget it had proposed to the supervisors, who on May 5 approved $11,813,799 for the coming school year. Though the Board of Supervisors provided a $220,709 increase in county funding over the current year, that amount was $250,000 short of the full budget the School Board wanted to offset cuts in state and federal funding.
Superintendent Robert Chappell outlined a series of steps recommended by the board’s Finance Committee to make the $250,000 in savings. As unanimously approved by the School Board, the budget trimming includes: Read more »
Why is enrollment declining in Rappahannock County public schools?
Commentary and Analysis
By James P. Gannon
The question posed in the headline above is fundamental to charting a future course for the public schools of the county. Yet, curiously, in covering uncounted hours of School Board meetings and budget work sessions in the past 18 months, I have not yet heard any board member ask that obvious question.
The loss of student population in the schools is undeniable and is expected to continue. Combined enrollment of the county’s elementary and high schools in fall 2003 was 1,041. It fell to 1,002 in fall 2006, to 941 last fall, and is projected by the school budget to decline to 902 in the coming year.
That’s a loss of 13.4% of student population in five years, with the decline especially steep in the past year. Why is the county’s public school system dwindling away? In counties all around Rappahannock, student population is increasing.
Of course, there’s a blessing in declining school enrollment, in that Rappahannock does not face pressure to build new classrooms, hire more teachers, and raise property taxes to finance all that–but there’s a danger, too.
At what point does Rappahannock County High School, which currently counts 391 students (and that includes five grades, from 8 through 12) become too small to sustain sports and special academic programs that attract only a portion of the dwindling student body? With overhead costs of facilities, staff, transportation and administration spread over fewer and fewer students, the cost-per-student of educating children becomes alarmingly high–over $13,000 for the coming school year, based on projected enrollment. Read more »
Rappahannock Lions launch online shopping service that will benefit county fire & rescue squads
The Rappahannock County Lions Club has inaugurated an innovative on-line shopping service that will generate donations to support Rappahannock County volunteer fire and rescue companies.
Suppose you want to buy a book, some office supplies, spring fashions, outdoor furniture or pet supplies and other goods. If you shop online by going through the Rappahannock Lions website to connect to such retailers as Amazon.com, Office Depot, PetSmart, Wal-Mart, Macy’s or Plow & Hearth, the retailers will donate 4% of the purchase price to the local Lions Club.
The Lions plan to donate 100% of this shopping revenue to the various fire and rescue companies of Rappahannock County, on an equal-share basis.
Jim Blubaugh, who has headed this project for the Lions and is in line to become president of the Club in July, said, “Rappahannock is an extremely giving County, but more and more we are being asked to donate to important causes. This is an easy way for us to support areas that are important to us by doing nothing more than redirecting our shopping habits.” Read more »
Supervisors take action on farmland protection, broadband internet service, property tax reassessments
At a busy Board of Supervisors meeting this week, Rappahannock County supervisors approved a land development-rights purchase, moved a step closer to bringing high-speed internet connections to more county homes and businesses, and considered a new way to do periodic reassessments of county property values for tax purchases.
At their monthly meeting Monday, the supervisors took these actions:
Development Rights Purchase: Supervisors voted 5-0 to purchase development rights on three parcels of land owned by Manfred Call of Amissville. Under the plan, the county will pay $200,000 to purchase four development rights and to merge three parcels of 88, 10, and 5 acres into one parcel that could not be subdivided, and no more dwellings could be built thereon. Read more »
Tired of rising energy costs? Explore alternative energy solutions at RLEP’s expo on Saturday
Seventeen new exhibitors are featured in this year’s Piedmont Alternative Energy Expo, Saturday, May 17, at the Fauquier County Fairgrounds in Warrenton, VA.
Area consumers can meet experts who convert conventional vehicles to electric, build hurricane resistant yet environmentally-friendly buildings, and steward land for the betterment of the planet, among leaders offering many other fascinating and practical technologies.
“Today’s alternative energy solutions are friendly to average consumers,” says Monica Worth, President of the Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection (RLEP), which is organizing the third annual Expo. “They work for our budgets, for our lifestyles and for our planet— it’s an exciting time to explore how they can help meet the energy needs each of us must manage.”
Visitors can spend one-on-one time with experts to get advice on ideas and plans for their own projects. Or they can explore a host of vendors now working throughout the region to bring alternative energy solutions to individual households. Kid-friendly exhibits and hands-on fun teach fundamentals, while sophisticated applications of technology deliver high tech answers to today’s energy challenges. Read more »
Radio Rappahannock? Proposal for FM station to serve four counties gets support from Board of Supervisors
By James P. Gannon
Suppose you could turn on your radio and get local news and talk-radio chat on what’s happening in Rappahannock County–reports from a Board of Supervisors meeting, alerts from the Sheriff’s office, emergency weather warnings, or a debate on the pros and cons of Land Use taxation.
That’s part of the vision of a local non-profit organization that is applying to the federal government for a license to operate a news and public-affairs station to serve Rappahannock, Madison, Culpeper and Fauquier counties.
Verdun Adventure Bound, Inc. of Rixeyville, VA has applied to the Federal Communications Commission for a non-commercial/educational FM license to broadcast at the 88.1 mhz frequency. VAB operates outdoor education programs for local public and private schools, 4H groups and Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
Rappahannock County’s Board of Supervisors likes Verdun’s idea. The supervisors lent their backing Monday by voting to send a letter supporting Verdun’s application to the FCC.
“Rappahannock County needs a local radio station that broadcasts local news and public affairs,” the letter from Board Chairman Robert Anderson to FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin states. “Nothing of this sort currently exists here. The only applicant that promises to provide regular, in-depth local news–including activities of the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors–is Verdun Adventure Bound, Inc. in Rixeyville.” Read more »