Public Offers Input on Upcoming School Budget Needs

A Public hearing on Monday for the upcoming budget year held by the Lunenburg County School Board saw a relatively small audience and just a few concerns raised. LCPS Superintendant Charles Berkley said that he and the school board will be working over the next few months to put together and finalize a budget plan. He stated, “We will be working with the principals in putting together this budget proposal with an idea to have a recipe that is good for the students.”

Mr. Berkley would continue on to note that there have been many positive developments in the schools recently and that the focus is to continue to move forward in bringing the best possible education to the Lunenburg students.

With only a few individuals speaking during the public input session, it appears that the satisfaction level among teachers and parents is trending upward. Sherry Clark, who is a teacher at Central High School, said that while things were going well throughout the school system, there were a few areas that may need additional funding considerations. She noted that there is a need for an additional high school math teacher because the current teachers have classes during all four blocks and do not get a planning period. She would go on to note that if the schools do move to a 7 period schedule instead of the current block schedule, the teacher would have to be hired.

Clark also would note the need for additional school buses and drivers to be used as certain clubs and groups have the need to travel at times when there may not be buses available. She would also ask school officials to look at having a full music program at both Lunenburg Middle School and Central High School.

Central High School teacher Hope Dunbar also spoke to school officials and asked for them to consider bringing back a Classroom Coordinator position for the Virtual Virginia classes. Virtual Virginia classes are required for students now and Dunbar said that currently the students taking those classes often end up in her class or other business classes. She would go on to say that there are times when a regular class is taking place while Virtual Virginia students are also taking as many as three different classes online in there as well.

Dunbar said that it can be distracting to the students in the regular class and that the Virtual Virginia students also have times when a teacher is needed to help with the online needs. For this reason, she noted that brining back this position would be a good idea.

Mr. Berkley thanked both ladies for their concerns and noted that as the budget work begins this month and moves forward, they will take into consideration many different factors and ideas prior to offering a look at the final numbers.