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On May 15, the Rappahannock Board of Supervisors will review expansion proposals for the high school. In addition to plans that were suggested by the school board’s capital outlay committee, the supervisors will have before them two alternatives endorsed by the school board: the first includes all construction proposed by the capital outlay committee with the exception of a green house and horticulture classroom, the second includes only four classrooms and expansion of library, bathroom and storage facilities.
With Rappahannock High school’s state accreditation hanging by a thread, the supervisors should reject the second alternative out-of-hand. It does not meet even current needs at RCHS much less allow for any expansion in programs. At Tuesday’s meeting, school board chairman Beverly Massie acknowledged—in response to continued prodding—that the school board will have to come back to the supervisors next year or the year after for more money to finance additional construction if alternative II is all that’s approved. With inflation pushing construction costs up by 10 to 15 percent a year, delay will only add to the strain that school construction will place on the county ’s tax rate. To risk this added cost is senseless when it’s inevitable that the space needs be filled.
The first alternative endorsed by the school board in a split vote will meet the pressing needs for space at RCHS, satisfy current state mandates and go far in removing the cloud that hangs over the high school’s accreditation. But, like alternative II, it allows for no expansion in programs.
We hope that the supervisors will consider funding the total expansion package—including green house and horticulture classroom—proposed by the capital outlay committee. This committee, comprised of school board members, administrators and citizens representatives, spent long hours examining the course offerings as well as the space needs at RCHS. The committee felt that Rappahannock should begin to do more than just meet the bare minimum of standards set by the state.
It was a wise decision. How cah we expect our young people to strive for excellence when we set the example of doing the least that we can get by with?
Horticulture is an excellent program to institute in kicking off the march toward excellence in our schools. It will
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