Radford University explores Governor's School for arts and humanities; Montgomery County board asks for details
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Summary
Radford University proposed hosting a Governor’s School for the arts and humanities; Montgomery County Public Schools officials and board members heard an update and asked for specifics on governance, selection criteria and costs before deciding whether to participate.
Radford University has proposed creating a Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities and invited Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to participate, superintendent Bridal told the school board at its Jan. 21 meeting.
Bridal said the idea arose from outreach by Radford’s president and initial planning included participation from multiple neighboring divisions (Pulaski, Radford City, Giles, Floyd and Montgomery). If approved, students would apply — with arts applicants typically auditioning — and, if selected, would spend half the school day at Radford University taking courses taught by Radford faculty and return to their home high schools for the rest of the day and extracurricular activities.
Administrators described an estimated cost comparable to existing programs: Bridal said the per-student cost would likely be about $3,800, similar to the Southwest Virginia Governor’s School arrangement. Preliminary planning envisions starting with sophomores, expanding through juniors and seniors, and a program size of roughly 40 students per grade level (about 120 students total once fully enrolled). Draft curriculum crosswalks and a submission to the Virginia Department of Education are in progress; VDOE returned the proposal for revisions.
Board members asked for more detail on governance, student-selection procedures, financial commitments and equity concerns. Several members said the board should be involved in planning rather than simply being asked to “rubber-stamp” a later agreement; others suggested Radford meet the county board to present the program once drafts are more finalized.
Superintendent Bridal and board member Purcell said board members and a parent representative had been included in exploratory meetings and agreed to circulate the draft documents now in hand. Bridal said a February meeting had been tentatively scheduled but later canceled while VDOE asked for revisions.
Board members asked administration to provide: (1) final draft materials showing the selection criteria and governance structure, (2) a clear accounting of what Montgomery County would pay (if anything) versus Radford’s and other divisions’ contributions, and (3) specific equity safeguards to ensure broad access across student demographics. Bridal said she would distribute the draft documents to the board for review and work with Radford to arrange a future public presentation if the program advances.
