[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6306133,"mediaKeyId","2440898-6681eed4f64dd912a4664e4668b07278","parentId",2440898,"title","Public commenters urge board to advertise academic gains and rally community support for funding","audioSeconds",225,"startMs",3420000,"endMs",3645000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2440898-6681eed4f64dd912a4664e4668b07278&start=3420&end=3645","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2440898-6681eed4f64dd912a4664e4668b07278/thumbnail_3420000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6306133/Virginia/Public-commenters-urge-board-to-advertise-academic-gains-and-rally-community-support-for-funding","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6306133-8e2fc9d5842dd51230c9615ce89be05d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154933&Signature=JHvZGXtyrENUo53IbYQtZcztfUZ1a-784qY8WGPPmo9TgOxTbMVjmulDkfTIerzdYmpbAzI1VU2MeFBqYxK9HowfNpiDBTm8rsq61TRzk9iO-fhNeerYbNt4m0KZg38c-mcStnWl2aItiE--D-~9OOOOZ~ydTpKEYswQdZgq2Ci2hyWScz6S9VE~Ai1WvH1bAqx6QyXI0snI20jvoX8zuxKWWNHyAundu-KnyGBTq1dPRSgl-tIAz-~3cskc3mo1znRz3oo~25k7lDJ-0X1t4IMLYG8fpyq4izQww-qp2t5V-YWHSSBGO~Td5gnWp2rsm6H0ZbISk6BVVYA7gXPqWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bedford County Public Schools","date","2025-02-13T00:00:00Z","article","At the Feb. 13 Bedford County School Board meeting, two public commenters urged the board to promote recent academic gains and to organize community advocacy to secure additional funding from the Board of Supervisors.

Dave Dietrich (resident) addressed the board first during the public-comment period. He recounted a recent debate over calendar language — where the term “winter holiday” was retained rather than “Christmas break” — and argued that the current dual nomenclature accommodates different beliefs without harming neighbors. Dietrich closed by invoking a historical example about religious language in public messages, saying the founders left freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.

Robert Ashwell (resident) told the board he is concerned about potential school consolidations — he cited discussion that closing Susey Gibson (phonetic from transcript) and another unnamed elementary and laying off assistant principals could become necessary if funding shortfalls persist. He urged the school board to “celebrate and advertise the excellence” of Bedford County Public Schools, citing the division’s climb in state achievement rankings and the need to retain staff. Ashwell recommended creating a permanent, year-to-year committee of parents, PTA/PTO members and community advocates to lobby fellow residents and the Board of Supervisors for increased school funding and to counter misinformation in the community.

Board members acknowledged the requests. Several said staff already prepare materials about achievement gains and that finance and communications staff will engage as part of budget advocacy; no formal action or vote to create a recruitment or advocacy committee was taken at the Feb. 13 meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Board Meeting - 2/13/2025 - 5:00 PM BEDFORD CO PBLC SCHS ","oneSentenceSummary","Two residents urged the Bedford County School Board to publicize recent state achievement gains and to recruit community advocates to press the Board of Supervisors for additional school funding; one speaker also raised concerns about calendar language and religious expression.","taxTitle","BEDFORD CO PBLC SCHS, School Districts, Virginia","taxId",38254,"location","Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6306137,"Clean audit, midyear forecast show small projected balance; nutrition fund and maintenance costs flagged",213,902000,1115000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2440898-6681eed4f64dd912a4664e4668b07278&start=902&end=1115","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2440898-6681eed4f64dd912a4664e4668b07278/thumbnail_902000.jpg","/articles/6306137/Virginia/Clean-audit-midyear-forecast-show-small-projected-balance-nutrition-fund-and-maintenance-costs-flagged","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6306137-b8344b35dcb9f8e7aaca1410380661a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154933&Signature=izz3jiS3pSNR8VnznYj5~R1BL1058mV-zLMfALokBUaGFI8P7bkUz7pCvBXhJ8D1anXhprxwcSnO74TMOJiOaV~sw1ou13RxMgsRguNgU4MlHSj0etmJ~2xHUJi31Ti4Z2L6XNDhkoz9MW17T7nQ8UXgA1Byc-2vJysknfWbtkQ0~Hhvl5ff0aBrnqsfRHJzw0fpvjJKhhu17Zl7-HHEyTTB8yh4fSLcnIVqFg8qvB1Uyxtl2k23CA80LcCiGs~G1W9CmdAm7DG5NrmtfnWp0X2Ot6KcpOPHBBL9V7fZB8PC1om6hp9iuyTkUvXmccw~iuoR~eX24zhqs7GSaYj9Pg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bedford County School Board received a slate of financial reports and audit documents at its Feb. 13 meeting, including a clean audit opinion for county and school financials, a midyear budget forecast that projects the operating fund will end the year close to budget, and staff warnings about the nutrition fund and maintenance costs.

Mister Hagler reported the external audit was completed in December and yielded no findings. Documents posted with the agenda included the auditors’ opinion letter, internal control comments, required communications and the annual comprehensive financial report covering county and school data.

Hagler presented a second-quarter forecast (data as of Dec. 31) that projects roughly $124,000 less in revenue than budgeted, driven by lower basic aid tied to enrollment declines and offset partially by higher sales tax. On expenditures, operating fund spending is projected to be about $511,000 under budget, producing a combined projected ending balance of roughly $364,000 for the operating fund at midyear.

The presentation singled out maintenance as a pressure point, driven by inflation in contracted services, materials and higher electrical costs. Hagler said electrical and heating costs may increase further after colder weather and that a category transfer into maintenance may be necessary following the third-quarter forecast.

Hagler also reported the nutrition fund is approximately $475,000 “underwater” at midyear due to food and salary inflation. Staff told the finance committee they are pursuing revenue-increase strategies, school-level cost reviews and potential staff reassignments; if losses continue long term, local general-fund support may be needed.

The textbook fund holds about $1.8 million in reserves pending an upcoming math adoption that is expected to draw on that balance. A capital improvement plan and maintenance-reserve balance of about $7.8 million was reported, with major upcoming HVAC replacements at Staunton River High School and Liberty High School estimated as multimillion-dollar projects.

The health insurance (self-insured) fund began the year at about $4.8 million and was at roughly $4.6 million at midyear, a $200,000 drawdown Hagler described as an improvement from the prior year’s larger claims-driven erosion.

On grants and supplemental appropriations, Hagler announced a $61,000 federal security grant and three title grants (Title I, Title VI-B, Title II) with carryover adjustments; those supplements were presented for information and will return for formal action at the next meeting before forwarding to the Board of Supervisors for appropriation.

Several routine meeting motions were approved: the agenda, consent agenda and a motion to enter a closed session under the Code of Virginia provision cited on the record for candidate interviews. After closed session, the board certified the closed meeting by recorded vote and later adjourned.","Auditors issued a clean opinion for Bedford County and the school division; second-quarter forecasts project revenue and expenditure variances, with the nutrition fund showing a midyear shortfall and maintenance and HVAC projects highlighted in the capital plan.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6306142,"Bedford superintendent returns from illness, outlines SWOT findings and upcoming math-textbook review",580,182000,762000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2440898-6681eed4f64dd912a4664e4668b07278&start=182&end=762","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2440898-6681eed4f64dd912a4664e4668b07278/thumbnail_182000.jpg","/articles/6306142/Virginia/Bedford-superintendent-returns-from-illness-outlines-SWOT-findings-and-upcoming-math-textbook-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6306142-804b535e59596ca7a0e52fa45fbc4bcf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154933&Signature=TXmCOJbL8BCsToXVYMnvMIvaqOjAJIzAY6qIbYbP~mBS4DgCZT8fsAsSYBh8rPOE20s~bfnCE-wnTpeBIcX-4auEAWV4SBnF7-igJgny0tYY-DwdQP4DvqgjqYmlxFX9WQtTuucB5dzDrXHAzyB4g5j8Q3P9ASBE6FlCPvmNr-7ssbh4VeZT4xf6DpBs3YiLCCWhRtBN2qvVXiB9YoNfWHg1tyBeWLYA2cerzRLmzEQdler23IzXt~9hHMdUNkZ6KF3KSfW9AoMsbNTIy0qBxsZ5JCS7~Cqkov0sIotuNsERLRAR4UU5YGIKb3pFhLWr2czkRD7WF6o2qZw9BPNH3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Randy De Pere, speaking at the Bedford County School Board’s regular meeting on Feb. 13, said he is recovering from a recent immune-compromised illness and outlined findings from a six-week SWOT review of the division’s schools, previewed a math-textbook adoption process with public review sessions, and noted a VHSL action to align with a federal executive order on athletics.

De Pere opened by thanking staff and community members who supported him during his illness and said he remains medically compromised for about six months but is improving. He then summarized a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) review he conducted during the fall semester that included more than 50 school visits and meetings with principals, teachers, counselors, leadership teams and parents.

The superintendent said strengths include a “strong, dedicated, and highly respected teaching staff.” Weaknesses he listed included low faculty morale, difficulty recruiting and retaining new hires—particularly within the first five years—and student mental-health needs. De Pere said the division began its budget process early and that the finance committee completed a line-by-line review of revenues and expenses to inform a preliminary budget delivered to the Board of Supervisors.

On academics, De Pere said Bedford County Public Schools rose in the state achievement rankings in the most recent reporting period and credited steady improvement over five testing seasons. He said the division will continue to support schools through the upcoming SOL testing.

De Pere said the Virginia High School League’s executive committee on Feb. 10 voted to bring VHSL policy “in compliance with the federal executive order” he described as limiting participation in girls’ sports to students assigned female at birth; he said the VHSL action takes effect immediately. He did not propose local policy actions at the meeting.

On curriculum, De Pere described the math-textbook adoption process: a district committee has reviewed VDOE-approved math textbooks since October and copies were sent to every school. He announced public textbook review sessions in the boardroom on Feb. 19 (9 a.m.–4 p.m.), Feb. 20 (noon–7 p.m.) and Feb. 21 (9 a.m.–4 p.m.), and said parents may also arrange reviews at local school buildings if those dates do not work. He listed the publishers submitted for review in the transcript as Kiddom, Heinemann, Savas, Mathspace and McGraw Hill for various grade bands.

De Pere also said the division will discuss the governor’s “Executive Order 33” regarding cell phones in schools as part of a divisionwide conversation; he did not describe any locally adopted policy at the meeting.

He closed by urging parents to use official school channels rather than social media when raising concerns and said the executive team will follow up with stakeholders on the SWOT results this spring.

The superintendent’s remarks were presented as informational; no board action on the math adoption, VHSL participation or the cell-phone topic was taken at the Feb. 13 meeting.","Superintendent Randy De Pere, speaking Feb. 13, said he is recovering from a recent immune-related illness, described a district SWOT analysis, highlighted student achievement gains and previewed a spring public review of proposed math textbooks and other initiatives including compliance with an athletic executive order.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public commenters urge board to advertise academic gains and rally community support for funding

Clean audit, midyear forecast show small projected balance; nutrition fund and maintenance costs flagged

Bedford superintendent returns from illness, outlines SWOT findings and upcoming math-textbook review