Campbell schools report 96% graduation rate, warn state funding loss and push local budget priorities
Loading...
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Stanley told supervisors the division’s graduation rate rose to 96% in 2024, outlined safety and literacy investments and a new STEM+M pilot, and said enrollment projections and rising costs mean local funds will be needed to meet state pay and insurance obligations.
Dr. Stanley, superintendent of Campbell County Schools, told the county board that all schools are fully accredited under the state’s new performance and support framework and that the division recorded a 96% graduation rate in 2024, the highest in the region.
The graduation and accreditation results matter because they reflect the division’s academic standing as officials balance investments amid tightening revenue. "We had 575 graduates earn over $3,500,000 worth of scholarships," Dr. Stanley said, and called the outcomes "important for us." He said the division’s SOL scores remain above the state average but have not fully returned to pre-pandemic levels.
In the presentation, Stanley reviewed several priorities the school system expects to press in the coming budget season: funding the governor’s proposed 3% pay raise for school employees, increasing bus-driver pay to address chronic shortages, adding 2.5 positions to expand the gifted program, and covering rising employee health insurance costs.
Stanley gave cost estimates: the governor’s 3% raise would cost the division about $2,300,000; a 1% raise was estimated earlier in the joint meeting at roughly $250,000 (county staff estimate). He warned that losing students reduces state funding and quantified that decline: a drop in enrollment translates to about $1,200,000 less in state revenue to the division. "When we lose students, we lose state funding," Stanley said.
On staffing, the superintendent and board members said driver shortages remain acute. Stanley said the division is typically 7–10 drivers short and that the job’s part-time hours and training requirements make recruiting difficult. Board and county speakers described local strategies such as recruiting existing staff to drive routes outside their regular hours.
Stanley also described programmatic investments and enrollment work the division has under way. The division contracted with a consultant to perform a subdivision yield and enrollment projection analysis; that study estimated approximately 568 new students from current and approved developments over the next 10 years but still projects an overall enrollment decline driven by falling birth rates (Stanley cited 501 live births in 2019 versus 364 in 2020).
The division is piloting a middle-school manufacturing/STEM program (called STEM+M) developed with Diversified Education Systems and supported by a Department of Defense grant; Stanley said Campbell County is the pilot district selected by the vendor. He described new labs, furniture and staff training already installed in Russburg Middle and Alta Vista areas and planned lab rollouts for the second semester at William Campbell and Rife Middle.
Stanley provided an update on Brookville High School’s renovation, saying the project has been slower and costlier than anticipated and has put pressure on capacity. "They are behind schedule, but I would say that they have been great to work with," he said, adding the division has discussed temporary classroom additions and possible boundary changes if enrollment pressures continue.
Board members and supervisors also discussed career and technical education (CTE) and dual-enrollment programs. Several speakers praised the Campbell County Technical Center and the county’s relationships with Central Virginia Community College and local employers; the board highlighted regular job fairs and a CTE “signing day” that places students directly into local jobs.
The superintendent closed by summarizing the budget stance: the division must plan for the governor’s proposed raise, make targeted investments to address bus-driver shortages and gifted services, and absorb steep health-insurance cost growth. He said the governor’s initial budget was not final and expressed hope the General Assembly could provide additional funds.
Ending: Board and supervisors agreed to continue coordination as the county and schools finalize budgets, and Stanley asked officials to hold open lines of communication about workforce and facility needs.
