Concern Over P.E. Co. Schools Tops List at Town Hall Meeting

Prince Edward County residents took the opportunity to address their concerns over a variety of topics at the Town Hall meeting that was held at the Hampden-Sydney Fire Department last Monday night. The meeting was hosted by  Richard Altice, President of the Southside Tea Party. He called the meeting “a non-partisan, community effort.”

Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors members Patti Cooper-Jones, Jim Wilck, and Bob Timmons were all in attendance. However, the spot for the Hampden District’s representative, Charles McKay, was conspicuously vacant. According to members that did participate in the meeting, Mr. McKay was concerned over a legal statute that restricts the assembly of two or more Board members for the purpose or intention of conducting business of the Board. All three members in attendance made it clear to the gathering that the purpose of the meeting was to “inform the public.”

In her brief opening statement, Patti Cooper-Jones of the Farmville District stressed the importance of a proactive stance by citizens. “Our power should not come from within,” Ms. Cooper-Jones told those in attendance, “it should come as a result of your concerns being voiced to us, so that we, in turn, can work for you.” She went on to advise the gathering of the importance of being involved in the schools and the education of our young people, an issue that is near to her. “I believe that it is all of our responsibility to see that our young people are properly equipped to go out into the world and make a decent living for themselves and their families.”

Jim Wilck, also representing the Farmville District, furthered Ms. Cooper-Jones comments, referring to past expenditures so many citizens in Prince Edward are already concerned and dismayed with. “We spent 5 million dollars on a new water plant that we didn’t need. We built the road to nowhere. We put 19 million into the Heartland Industrial Park, and that isn’t even in Prince Edward, it is in Keysville,” he pointed out Monday night. “It isn’t an income problem that we have in Prince Edward, it is cash outlay that is plaguing us. We need to curb spending.”

Bob Timmons of the Darlington Heights District summed up the overall point of view of the members there, “We need to band together to hold me accountable for what I am doing.” He went on to talk about the success of meetings such as the one held Monday night. Darlington Heights District holds Town Hall meetings quarterly.

Deputy Robbie Franklin, of the Prince Edward County Sheriff’s Department, addressed the audience with information about forming neighborhood watch programs in their district. Neighborhood Watch programs have impacted crime rates throughout the country. The groups that have been formed in the Meherrin and Green Bay communities have done a great deal to reduce crime in those areas. ‘The fact is we can’t be everywhere. It helps a lot when people keep an eye on things that are going on in their community. You all see your neighbor’s places every day and you notice when things look out of place,” Deputy Franklin said. “We are trying to get a neighborhood watch program started in every voting precinct in the county.”

Another topic that arose was where the Fire Department stood with regard to funding. The answer is reassuring for both the Fire Department and the public that relies so heavily on them; the volunteer Fire Department is off limits to funding cuts. More good news came in the form of  a possible method of generating additional funds for the Volunteer Fire Department. Donations have historically been the largest source of income and they are sometimes short when it is time to buy the expensive equipment that is used in the course of everyday duties. The alternative that was discussed is the possible billing of homeowner’s insurance policies for fire calls. “Nearly all homeowner’s policies have this rider attached, but it is seldom, if ever, used,” pointed out Bob Timmons to the Fire chief of the Hampden-Sydney District. By this tentative plan that former county Board member Don Gantt had spoken of in the past, the insurance claim information would become part of the incident report submitted to the county, who would in turn bill the companies by independent billing firm. All of the much needed money received would go to the fire department.

As the meeting progressed, a couple of topics seemed to come up time and again: the Prince Edward County School Board and the state of the schools for which they are responsible. It was pretty apparent from the answers and explanations given by the Board members that the citizens were not the only ones that were concerned. The most frequently asked questions centered around the School Board’s funding.  A collective, “ If the School Board is getting the money they request, why aren’t our children doing any better than they are compared to other schools in the state?” came from the audience. In short, “why aren’t we getting our money’s worth?” The answer from the representatives came in the form of a possible solution.

Up until now, the Prince Edward School Board has simply submitted their budget specifics for the year to the Board of Supervisors when the State budget is released and funds become available. At that point, the County Board allocates funds to the School Board in a lump sum. The arrangement is not working. In fact, the problem in the school system is serious enough that several students’ parents have taken matters into their own hands and moved their children into neighboring schools out of the county. This, aside from losing a student from the county he or she lives in, constitutes a serious loss of funding. The funding average is currently $5,500 per student per year. More evidence that it was time for change came from Farmville representative Jim Wilck: “For the last three years, when budget time came, the School Board requested funding to purchase a new school bus, and for the last three years, we have given it to them. That is $300,000 for three years in a row, $1.2 million. They have yet to buy a bus.” He stated further, “But we think we have a way to help solve the problem.” This year Prince Edward County has appointed a finance committee whose responsibility will be, among other things, to oversee unnecessary and unaccounted spending by the county’s School Board. According to past budget requests, Prince Edward spends more per student than other counties in Virginia, but carries a lower standing than those counties that spend less. Starting this year, the School Board will have to justify their spending requests to the Finance Committee according to an eight category outline.

A couple of interesting questions that nobody had an answer for: Why does the School Board ask for questions that are to be answered in their meetings one week in advance for review? Why does the Prince Edward County School Board hold their meetings at 1:00 in the afternoon, when the majority of us cannot attend?

Offering a bit of advice to those in attendance, Patti Cooper-Jones reiterated, “I cannot impress on you all enough how important it is for you to stay involved. Go to School Board meetings. Let them know that you are interested in the type of education they are providing your children.”