Emotional pleas at Franklin County Schools public hearing

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) — There was a steady stream of parents, educators, and community members who spoke at a public hearing on Saturday, Feb. 24, held by the Franklin County Board of Education.

Board members wanted to hear community input about proposals for dealing with a $3.7 million budget shortfall due to a formula used by the Commonwealth of Virginia to set school funding.

State Senator Bill Stanley says he is working to restore the money. He says the primary issue is the formula factors in average home price in the county and student enrollment.

While the Smith Mountain Lake area has seen a spike in the sale of high-end homes, many of them vacation properties, there has not been a corresponding increase in the number of students enrolled in the system.

As a result of the shortfall, a number of options are being discussed, including the closure of Burnt Chimney and Henry Elementary Schools.

School leaders have until March 5 to present their budget to the Franklin County Board of Supervisors. While the outlook for state funding is good, the state budget will not be set before that deadline, and school administrators say until the funding is secured, they have to trim the budget as though that money will not be there.

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