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Harrisonburg school leaders object to Rockingham proposal to change Massanutten Technical Center governance
Summary
Harrisonburg officials said Rockingham County is seeking to change voting and governance arrangements at Massanutten Technical Center; Harrisonburg leaders say the regional operating agreement and Virginia practice require equal board governance and expressed concern over attempts to reduce Harrisonburg’s vote and cap student slots.
Harrisonburg school leaders told the City and School Liaison Committee on March 24 that they are in a dispute with Rockingham County over governance and decision-making at Massanutten Technical Center (MTC), a regional career and technical education center founded 56 years ago.
"The two boards have to have equal voting rights. That is the legal standard," Harrisonburg’s superintendent said, summarizing the school board’s position. School leaders said Rockingham County circulated proposals — and later a press release — seeking to reduce Harrisonburg’s voting representation on the MTC executive board and to cap the number of Harrisonburg students who may attend MTC.
Harrisonburg officials said the county has also solicited quotes for a new MTC facility through its board of supervisors, a step Harrisonburg officials described as out of the executive board’s lane and not part of the established, cooperative process. "It was the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors that went ahead and solicited... quotes for a new MTC. And that inherently, that that was so out of their lane," a school board member said.
School leaders explained that under Virginia practice for regional schools the two school boards that created a regional technical center govern it jointly and that any changes to the operating agreement (the MOU) must be approved by each school board independently. "The MOU says that if it's gonna be altered, it needs to be approved by both boards independently so the executive board can't even vote on changing the MOU," one official said.
Harrisonburg officers said Rockingham County board members privately discussed proposals to reduce Harrisonburg’s voting share to roughly match the county’s asserted student share — a reduction Harrisonburg argues would be unlawful and would undermine the regional partnership. According to Harrisonburg officials, current student representation is roughly 23.5% of MTC enrollment while operating-cost shares differ by category; Harrisonburg officials said they pay about 29% of operating costs under the funding formula.
The dispute has already produced contested votes on the executive board: Harrisonburg recounted a recent executive-board vote where a nominated vice chair from Harrisonburg received opposition from three Rockingham board members, though the vice chair ultimately prevailed when other members were present.
Harrisonburg officials said they hope to preserve the regional model but are preparing contingency options if the relationship cannot be restored. "If it ends up in a divorce. We will provide CTE for our students. We'll figure out how to do it," the superintendent said.
The executive board meets periodically and the next scheduled executive meeting noted in the discussion is in the fall; school leaders said the MOU includes a January 15 deadline in the fiscal year preceding any withdrawal from the partnership, creating a wind-down timeline if a separation were to proceed.
Committee members asked for clarification on process and legal authority; school officials emphasized that changing the MOU requires independent board votes and that, absent agreement, a proposed change would not take effect.
