School Safety Funds Hang In ‘The Balance’

WOODSTOCK— The Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors may choose to put leftover fund balance money toward school safety improvements.

 

Supervisor Dave Ferguson said Thursday he plans to put forth the proposal at the next board meeting on Tuesday morning.

 

County Administrator Doug Walker said the remaining fund balance will amount to $17.5 million. However, he said the board previously voted to set a minimum fund balance of 12.5 percent, making the available amount around $5.1 million.

 

Ferguson said he thought the funds would be a good way to keep additional school resource officers at the schools until they can approve the positions at budget time.

 

He said by his calculation, about $50,000 should cover the salaries and expenses of four resource officers for the next four months.

 

“We could use the remaining money to return back to the school system in the capital improvement section and cover some of the improvements they want to do,” Ferguson said.

 

Parents and citizens were invited to weigh in on options for making county schools safer at three safety forums held in January. On Wednesday, the School Board met to narrow down which ideas they’d like to take to the board of supervisors.

 

Superintendent B. Keith Rowland said the board identified about six changes viewed as extremely necessary, including enough resource officers to staff every school and video intercoms.

 

“Those are items they’d like to see addressed immediately,” said Rowland.

 

The Board of Supervisors and School Board will hold a joint meeting to discuss school safety on Tuesday at Central High School at 1147 Susan Ave, Woodstock, at 6 p.m.

 

Contact Kaitlin Mayhew at 574-6290 or kmayhew@dnronline.com