The Patrick County School Board will consider issuing a request for proposals (RFP) for a school consolidation study and other items at their Nov. 8 meeting.
The board also will consider a request for proposals for transportation services during the meeting that will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday in Hardin Reynolds Memorial School.
Ronnie Terry, chairman, and Brandon Simmons, vice chairman, said school officials are being proactive in looking for ways to respond to the county’s revenue shortage.
“With the county having the problems it is having, we have to look at every way we can to save money,” Simmons, of the Dan River District, said.
County officials are pursuing a Revenue Anticipation Note — basically a loan for up to $3.5 million — to help the county meet its payroll and other expenses.
State revenues to the school division are based on population, officials have said.
“We’ve lost 65 to 75 students each year for the last three or four years,” said Terry, of the Blue Ridge District.
Even before the dip in enrollment, Terry said that based on the state formula, the Patrick school division receives funds for only 3.5 of the seven schools in the division.
“Basically, four schools is what the state says we should have,” Terry said. “There are a whole lot of ways to configure that” if it comes down to it, he added.
The declining enrollment also translates into a drop in state and federal revenues. As those revenue sources decrease, the division is forced to rely more heavily on local funding, according to Simmons and Terry.
Even if the RFP is approved, “school consolidation is not something that is going to happen immediately,” Simmons said.
Once awarded to the low bidder, officials said it will take time to complete the study and digest the information.
The study will be comprehensive and provide information about each school, as well as options for the future, Terry said.
Both Simmons and Terry reiterated it will be a lengthy process.
“This is something we need to do to be ahead of the game so that we will have the information when it comes time that something needs to be done,” Simmons said.
