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School officials report enrollment dip of 34 pupils; hiring freeze and delayed bus purchase eyed
Summary
Lunenburg County Schools reported average daily membership at 1,486, 34 below budget projections; officials said they will leave some positions open and postpone a school bus purchase while monitoring whether students return after the holidays.
Lunenburg County Schools Assistant Superintendent and Finance Director James Abernathy told the Board on Dec. 8 that average daily membership (ADM) stood at 1,486 students, 34 fewer than the figure used in the fiscal-year budget. Abernathy said the trend was downward but staff expect some students to return after the holidays.
To manage a potential shortfall, the school system will not fill a few teaching roles and a full-time office position and will delay buying a school bus. When asked by Supervisor Alvester Edmonds about electric buses, Abernathy said electric models currently raise operational concerns for the rural county, noting limited range and lengthy charging times that make them impractical for long routes.
Abernathy said about 117 students are currently being home schooled. He also noted that sports classifications are tied to high-school population and that large eighth- and ninth-grade cohorts may temporarily move the district's classification to AA while those students reach high school.
The school administration emphasized that budget adjustments are under review and further decisions will depend on whether enrollment rebounds.
