“Are we teaching them to sulk and shuffle or

“Are we teaching them to sulk and shuffle or are we teaching them pride? . . . They need to have pride in their school, their community and their governing officials . . . This project can go a long way towards building self esteem and pride in our children.”

The members of the Board of Supervisors have demonstrated a commitment to quality in their personal lives and business, said Barney O’Meara. “Nelson Lane has some of the finest Belgium draft horses in the country . . . Hubie Gilkey does quality construction work . . . Pete Estes is doing a careful restoration . . . Newbill Miller has champion bulls. I think quality is what they had in mind when they asked for brick and mortar - not modular construction,” Mr. O’Meara said, referring to the board’s directive almost two years ago to substitute a brick and mortar gym for the pre-fab building included in the preliminary plans for the high school expansion. (The change raised the cost of the capital outlay from $750,000 to $1.5 million.)

Pledging a payment to the Moffett family’s special school construction fund if the high school expansion is approved, Mr. O’Meara said that the supervisors shouldn’t support the project because of 1,000 signatures on petitions or because of unanimous and strong endorsement from the school board. “Approve the high school building project on its merits and move Rappahannock County into the 20th century before it’s over,” he told the supervisors. “The quality will remain long after the price is forgotten.”

Students from RCHS asked the supervisors to approve the capital outlay project. Marley Hay, a senior and captain of the RCHS cross country team, said his younger sister and brother deserve better science labs, a better library “and a place where they can eat without rubbing elbows with everyone.”

Representing the RCHS National Honor Society and the track team, Randy Jenkins noted that tea