BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. – The fate of a school and certain grade levels could soon be decided as the Bedford County School Board continues to hear concerns over efficiency options.
The pushback over the options is nothing new. 10 News previously told you about the first of a series of town halls where parents and teachers voiced their concerns on the four presented options.
Many of those parents and teachers attended a public hearing during a school board meeting on Thursday.
“These options are not in our children’s best interests,” one parent said during the meeting.
One issue parents and teachers have with the options is all of them consist of closing down Stewartsville Elementary School.
Amanda Ergenbright, a teacher at the school, spoke on behalf of the school at the public hearing.
“Of course, it’s true our building is old and we do have low enrollment compared to other schools in the county. However, we are much more than just a set of statistics,” Ergenbright said.
The other issue several parents have is the reconfiguration of grade levels being proposed through the options.
“We have teachers who don’t want to see fifth grade moved up to middle school and do not want to see 8th grade moved up to the high school. We cannot jeopardize the retainment of these talented and incredible staff members who feel so strongly about this,” Dina Jones said.
The district is trying to prevent future budget collapses through efficiency options. However, parents argue the school board should be asking for more money rather than just dealing with what’s given.
“The school board needs to gain the support of the board of supervisors. More money needs to be allocated to our schools,” one parent said.
One more town hall remains before the school board is supposed to make a decision on Thursday, March 21.
The town hall will be held at Staunton River High School from 4:30 to 8 p.m. The district is where Stewartsville Elementary resides.