The Patrick County School Board again voiced its support for the closure of a section of Dogwood Road at its June 23 meeting, amid continued questions about the legal status of a prior Board of Supervisors vote and related procedural requirements.
The board originally approved a request for the Board of Supervisors to consider initiating the process to abandon the section of Dogwood Road directly in front of Hardin Reynolds Memorial School at its June 17, 2025, meeting.
The Board of Supervisors later approved discontinuing that portion of the road by a 3-1-1 vote at its Sept. 8 meeting.
However, because the public hearing notice was not properly advertised in the Martinsville Bulletin, questions arose about the legality of the hearing and the vote.
Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Resident Engineer Robyn Keller, who was named to the post after Lisa Price-Hughes retired, was invited to attend the meeting, along with Patrick County Administrator Michael McGuinness.
During the meeting, Keller said an Attorney General’s opinion had been received indicating the supervisors’ vote was valid.
Keller said the Attorney General’s Office opined that what the board did was legal and that the vote stood.
“What we had to do was our public hearing to move forward,” she added.
Rob Martin, of the Dan River District, said VDOT was slowing the process on the road closure.
“No, VDOT is not. We’re waiting for direction from the board. We came here and met with Mr. McGuinness and informed Mr. McGuinness that due to the fact that it’s been so long since this thing had been taken care of or whatever, they had not requested that we move forward with the public hearing they needed to confirm to us that that’s what they still intended,” Keller said. “We have yet to get that confirmation.”
While the board’s vote was legal, Keller said VDOT still must meet its obligations before the project can move forward.
Shannon Harrell, of the Blue Ridge District, asked whether those obligations included the required 30-day advertisement before a public hearing.
Keller responded that it did.
“So, what you’re saying though is, after that hearing is when the CTB (Commonwealth Transportation Board) will meet to make their decision,” Harrell said.
“Correct,” Keller replied.
“And if their decision is there’s a public outcry at that hearing, they’re not going to do it possibly. So what we need to do is if people are in favor of it they need to also attend the hearing,” Harrell said.
“Of course,” Keller replied.
Martin asked why he was only learning about the Attorney General’s opinion.
“I’ve been asking, and all the board members have heard me, ask for an Attorney General’s opinion on this. Now I find out after wasting a lot of time that there is an Attorney General’s opinion,” he said.
Keller said she hoped she had not misspoken and noted she was in Price-Hughes’ office when the email was written.
“I thought she was sending it to you, but I may be mistaken. That was in January,” Keller said.
After reviewing her email, Chairman Amy Walker, of the Mayo River District, said she received a message from Price-Hughes in February.
“It does not reference the Attorney General. She references VDOT’s Legal Operations Analyst Ellen Porter. I have not seen anything from the Attorney General’s Office,” she said.
Keller said Porter is with the Attorney General’s Office.
“Maybe Lisa wasn’t clear on who Ellen Porter was when she spoke with you. Maybe that’s the situation, I don’t know,” Keller said.
In the Feb. 19 email to Walker, Price-Hughes said that in discussion with Porter there was nothing improper with the board of supervisors’ action.
“It still stands. To move forward with a discontinuance, no additional action is required by that board. However, an action of discontinuance is required to go before the Commonwealth Transportation Board. For that to occur, VDOT’s public involvement requirements would need to be met. For the previous correspondence forwarded to you regarding advertisements, they were not. The best course of action at this point is for VDOT to meet with the appropriate parties and discuss options,” the email states.
Now, “what is required of us is for the board to give us direction on how they want to move forward,” Keller said.
Martin said the board of supervisors did so last year.
“We have went back to them and talked to them since we didn’t do the public hearing, they haven’t requested that we have the public hearing,” Keller said.
“So a motion made by the board of supervisors that passed with a 3-1 with a 1 abstaining vote is not good enough for VDOT,” Martin asked.
“I don’t know where the delay happened, I wasn’t here for that. But it was approved and it didn’t move forward for whatever reason that I have no idea what that was. When” my office “met with Mr. McGuinness in January, it was we need the board to confirm that’s what they want to do because it’s been so long since this took place and the board has changed.
“They have not requested that we move forward. So, if they request that we move forward, whatever that is, we will do that, but we need them to make that request to us,” Keller said.
Before the Board of Supervisors directs VDOT to move forward with the 30-day advertisement, McGuinness said he wants direction from the school board.
“I feel the same way today as when I voted,” Walter Scott, of the Smith River District, said.
“I don’t want a kid to get hit. It’s not worth it,” Harrell said.
“If we all are still where we are, then that’s where we are and pass it on and let’s move forward,” Scott said to McGuinness.
In other matters, the board:
● Appointed Jerry Woods as the interim Peters Creek District representative. Woods will serve until a candidate can be elected in the November election.
● Recognized its retirees.
● Heard the superintendent’s report.
● Approved adult meal price increases for the 2026-27 school year.
● Approved the 2026-27 Title I-Title IV federal grant applications.
● Nominated Sara Leigh Collins for the Virginia School Board Association (VSBA) Clerk of the Year award.
● Authorized the superintendent to make payments until the end of the fiscal year.
● Approved the consent agenda.
● Approved the personnel report as amended.
