Council weighs expanded Laurel Ridge funding as college seeks program growth

Laurel Ridge Community College representatives described a request for additional locality support during a special Luray Town Council meeting. The college’s representative explained that an earlier town commitment of $400,000 (a five-year support tied to water and sewer offsets during campus construction) had since lapsed and the ongoing contribution reverted to a per-student formula; the council currently has a $9,000 placeholder in the draft budget for the coming year.

Dr. Blosser, speaking for the college, said the local allocation process had shifted over decades from a population basis to a student-origin basis and that "that amount that you get every single year, which is right now about 18,000, is actually how much how many students are from the county." He told council that the college’s local fund is relatively small—about $364,000—and that roughly 60% of that fund returns to students as scholarships.

Council members asked for more detail about how many Luray residents benefit. One council member noted the town’s historical generosity and urged shared buy-in from Page County and neighboring towns. The mayor (Chair) added a personal note: "My daughter received the principal scholarship for Laurel Ridge Community College, and I'm forever grateful," underscoring the local impact of scholarship dollars.

The college representative said the school plans to start a CNA program and asked the council to consider support above the placeholder if feasible. Councilors requested ZIP-code–level breakdowns of student residency and discussed talking with the county about billing and split arrangements. No final funding change was adopted at the meeting; staff and council agreed to follow up with additional enrollment detail and county conversations.