For families outside Buena Vista,
another
tuition hike at city schools
Parents of students who live outside Buena Vista but attend one of its four schools will have to pay $100 more next year.
The Buena Vista School Board voted March 20 to increase non-resident tuition from $200 to $300 per year.
School board members cited a decrease in state money and an increase in the number of students. Buena Vista enrollment has reached 1,175, about 10 percent of whom are county residents, according to Linda Hickman of the Buena Vista schools' central office. The board increased tuition from $150 to $200 two years ago.
Hickman said Buena Vista has seen an influx of professionals in the past few years because of the expansion of Southern Virginia University. More faculty from Washington and Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute are moving to the city as well. Children of professors and other professionals typically perform at a higher level, she said.
"Parry McCluer's curriculum has shifted into a college-prep program to accommodate these academic families," Hickman said. "So now students closer to PMHS but in the county can pay to come here, save themselves a ride and get the same college prep or better than they would at [Rockbridge County High School]."
Members of the board showed little hesitation about the increase. Many noted that Lexington City Schools charge $1000 per year for nonresident students.
Lylburn Downing Middle School Principal Rich Dowd said that Lexington has no plans to increase tuition but sees the need for Buena Vista schools to do so. He said spending is typically much higher than $300 per student and city schools do not benefit from county taxes.
"The tuition system is great," Dowd said. "Of our 270 students, more than 70 are from the county. It allows us to be somewhat of a 'public-private' school and offer things that we never could, like Latin."
Produced by
Washington and Lee
journalism students.
Lead Supervisors:
Prof. Brian
Richardson
Prof. Phylissa
Mitchell
Editing supervisor:
Prof. Pamela Lucke
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd