JOINT PROPOSAL FOR SCHOOL DIVISION

CONSOLIDATION

Alleghany County and Covington City School Divisions

BEFORE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION

Meeting November 19, 2020
 PRESENTERS

Jacob Wright Jonathan Aritt

Stephen Piepgrass
ALLEGHANY COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD COVINGTON CITY SCHOOL BOARD
TROUTMAN PEPPER HAMILTON SANDERS LLP
Chair, JOINT COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION Vice Chair, JOINT COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION
ADVISERS ALSO PRESENT

Sherman Callahan Melinda Snead-Johnson Jon Lanford

Superintendent, ALLEGHANY COUNTY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Krystal Onaitis Jim Regimbal
Superintendent, COVINGTON CITY County Administrator, ALLEGHANY
City Manager, CITY OF COVINGTON FISCAL ANALYTICS, LTD.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS COUNTY
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION

Gerald Franson Matt Garten James Griffith

Erika Hunter Tom Sibold Allan Tucker
ALLEGHANY COUNTY SCHOOL ALLEGHANY COUNTY BOARD OF ALLEGHANY COUNTY BOARD OF
COVINGTON CITY SCHOOL BOARD Mayor, CITY OF COVINGTON COVINGTON CITY COUNCIL
BOARD SUPERVISORS SUPERVISORS
 PROPOSED CONSOLIDATED DIVISION
Schools (beginning 2023-2024
school year)
One high school (housed in the
current Alleghany High School
building)
One middle school (housed in the
current Covington High School
building)
Four elementary schools (all
current elementary schools
retained)
School Board (beginning July 1, Superintendent and
2022) assistant superintendent
(selected from current
Four members from Alleghany superintendents)
County
Three members from Covington
Two-thirds vote required on
significant matters (such as
hiring/termination of superintendents
and construction/closure of facilities)
ALLEGHANY COUNTY SCHOOL DIVISION

 Schools:
 Alleghany High School
 Clifton Middle School
 Callaghan Elementary School
 Mountain View Elementary School
 Sharon Elementary School
 End-of-year membership (2019-2020): 1909
 Consolidated with Clifton Forge School Division in 1982
COVINGTON CITY SCHOOL DIVISION

 Schools:
 Covington High School (8-12)
 Jeter-Watson Intermediate School (4-7)
 Edgemont Primary School (PK-3)
 End-of-year membership (2019-2020): 995
 Separated from Alleghany County School Division in 1958
 INTERESTS OF STUDENTS

 At present: Source: U.Va. Weldon

Cooper Center for Public
 Populations and enrollments Service (Table 1 of proposal);
2013-2018 special education
declining data is not reflected in this
graph.
 Student-teacher ratio relatively low
 Recent school closures
 With consolidation:
 Opportunities for additional course
offerings, electives
 Opportunities through Jackson
River Technical Center, Dabney S.
Lancaster Community College
 Accreditation, SOQ
 HISTORY OF CONSOLIDATION EFFORTS IN
THE AREA
 Discussions of consolidation between the Alleghany County and Covington
School Boards since the late 1960s, roughly a decade after division in 1958
 Early 1980s consolidation
 Alleghany County and Clifton Forge School Divisions consolidation approved in 1981,
effective 1982
 Covington City School Board interested but lacked City Council support
 Effort in the late 2010s began based on several factors including decreasing
populations and greater recognition that the pooling of resources would be
advantageous, creating additional opportunities for area students
 Joint Committee on School Consolidation formed to discuss a plan for potential
cooperation and joint services between the school divisions; two members
appointed by each of the school boards and governing bodies
CONSOLIDATION FACTORS

Consent Under § 22.1-25(A) of the Virginia Code

Consent of school boards
Consent of governing bodies
Criteria Under § 22.1-25(C) of the Virginia Code
School-age population
Potential to facilitate offering of comprehensive K-12 program at established SOQ
Potential efficiencies in use of school facilities and personnel and economy in operation
Anticipated increase or decrease in school-age population
Relation of geography and topography to transportation and pupils’ reasonable access to
school facilities
Existing school divisions’ ability to meet the SOQ
CONSOLIDATION FACTORS

Supporting Information and Data Under § 22.1-25(D) of the Virginia Code

Addressing criteria under § 22.1-25(C) of the Virginia Code
Evidence of cost savings
Plan for transfer of title to school board property
Procedures and schedule for consolidation, including completion of current
superintendent and school board terms
Plan for school board representation
Evidence of local support
CONSOLIDATION STUDIES

 Feasibility study of Jim Regimbal and Dick Salmon

 RRMM Architects assessment of facilities
 Memorandum reports of the Joint Committee on School
Consolidation’s Finance, Governance, Facilities,
Transportation, and Curriculum Subcommittees
 Report and Recommendation of the Joint Committee on
School Consolidation
 AECOM analysis of bus routes
 20-20 Insight poll of public support
PROPOSAL’S BENEFITS TO STUDENTS

 Enhanced course offerings through transition from two high schools and two
middle schools (across two divisions) to one high school and one middle school (in
consolidated division)
 Access to more elective courses, including career and technical education and
foreign languages
 Additional educational opportunities through Dabney S. Lancaster Community
College
 Accreditation of high school and middle school expected to be more in line with
Covington’s (full accreditation)
 All existing elementary schools retained (all are fully accredited)
ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS OF PROPOSAL

 Efficiencies in use of school buildings, central office administration, and student-

teacher ratios over time
 Cost savings from efficiencies, equalization or increase of health benefits more
slowly over time, ERIP
 Public support across localities, support increases after learning more about
consolidation
 Supported by local school boards and governing bodies
 Consolidated school-age populations greater than in individual divisions, recently
and prospectively
ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS OF PROPOSAL

 Existing transportation capacity should suffice with some modifications, some

travel times decreased and some increased (but not by more than fifteen minutes
and all trips still under sixty minutes)
 Localities retain title to school property unless otherwise determined by
appropriate governing body, existing debt service for school boards transferred to
respective localities for retirement, use of vacated middle school buildings
determined by consolidated school board and governing bodies
 Consolidation would be effective July 1, 2022, with the merger of student bodies
in advance of the 2023-2024 school year
NEXT STEPS IF APPROVED

 Seek related legislation in the General Assembly (support measures for consolidation and
If approved, amendment to Covington City Charter reflecting consolidated school division)
thereafter  Local Boards and Governing Bodies negotiate and enter into agreement regarding school division
consolidation matters 
Within 60 days  Governing Bodies appoint the required number of members of the consolidated school board
before July 1, 2022
July 1, 2022  Effective date for consolidation of the school divisions and the school boards

Thereafter  Appointment of the consolidated school division’s superintendent and assistant superintendent

Before school year  Adopt policy manual for the consolidated school division for use beginning in the 2022-2023
2022-2023 school year

Effective school year

 Merger of the student bodies
2023-2024
Questions?

Contact information:
Jacob Wright, boilingrep@gmail.com
Jonathan Arritt, jarritt@covington.k12.va.us
Sherman Callahan, scallahan@alleghany.k12.va.us
Melinda Snead-Johnson, msjohnson@covington.k12.va.us
Jon Lanford, jlanford@co.alleghany.va.us
Krystal Onaitis, konaitis@covington.va.us
Jim Regimbal, jjregimbal@gmail.com
Stephen Piepgrass, stephen.piepgrass@troutman.com