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er the education budget. This year, however, there has been even more need to provide incentives to keep teachers in Rappahannock's schools. The cost of teaching
in Rappahannock
In presenting his proposed budget to the Rappahannock County School Board, Chappell noted that gas prices increased by about 3T percent in the past year. He said that a large number of teachers live outside the county where affordable housing is easier to find and commute between 40 and 50 miles each day to work; Chappell said that even teachers who live in the county spend a good amount of money on gas by making long drives to shop for items not readily available in Rappahannock, which lacks large stores.
In a phone interview Chappell said that long commutes, housing problems and other factors put Rappahannock at a “pretty significant” disadvantage in attracting and retaining teachers.
“If we don’t maintain, a competitive edge there, were going to lose people, pure and simple,” he said,
Chappell also said that criticism of the expanding school budget has grated on school employees.
“1 do think that when they are subjected to the level of criticism they hear in public meetings, that can be very discouraging to them.” he said, “Frankly 1 am concerned that people would be disheartened by what t think they perceive as constant criticism by a fow in the public about our schools.”
Even with the disadvantages particular to Rappahannock, Chappell does not believe the schools need to necessarily beat compensation packages offered by surrounds ing jurisdictions. Citing the county comprehensive plan, he said he simple hopes to move closer to the average of the surrounding counties.
“I just think we need to be v tewed as being the type of employer that can provide reasonable uicentives for people to, work here in Rappahannock county.” he said, “To me the cost of living increase is a pretty reasonable incentive”
Rappahannock lags behind the average teacher pay offered bv surrounding coun
31.1%