Our Mission
The mission of the Rockbridge County Public Schools Foundation is to raise substantial private funds, over and above funds available through the regular operating budget, to make the Rockbridge County Public Schools as excellent as they can possibly be.
The Foundation will carry out its mission by focusing support in these areas:
- Helping students achieve higher levels of academic, personal, and social success
- Helping teachers and principals obtain additional professional educational training and skills
- Equipping classrooms with state-of-the-art tools and technology
- Promoting communication and collaboration with the community
- Ensuring educational excellence that prepares graduates for meaningful and productive lives
Our Vision
- Graduates of the Rockbridge County schools who are proud of their school experience and education.
- Talented and dedicated teachers and administrators who are rewarded for their contributions with continuing education and specialized training that prepares them to reach even higher heights.
- Classrooms equipped with cutting-edge technology to facilitate students’ entry into the workplace and higher educational pursuits.
- Enrichment activities and field trips where every student is able to participate.
Why We Are Necessary
Why do you need a private foundation to accomplish all this? Why aren’t these goals accomplished through our School Board, local taxes and State and Federal monies already?
Education is a community responsibility. It is up to us, as citizens, to do what we can to supplement the monies our schools receive from tax sources in order to achieve our vision. Good schools draw caring and concerned families and a high-quality workforce.
The on-going success of our community is inextricably tied to the success of our kids. In other words, the quality of our schools determines the quality of life for everyone in our community - whether you have (or have had) children in the County school system or not.
Tax-based funding, including all sources of federal, state and local support, is rarely adequate for achieving excellence, especially in rural areas. In communities with premier public school systems, the property and local taxes are inevitably among the highest rates in the state. Rockbridge County has low property taxes. Funding from Virginia and federal sources is purely formulaic, computed by an established method which will not dedicate any additional funds to school systems struggling to bring more opportunities to their deserving students. In a word, our tax-based support falls far short of achieving the standards and vision we have for our county’s public schools.
Whom We Serve
Rockbridge County educates approximately 3,000 students in five elementary (K-5) schools, two middle (6-8) schools, and one high (9-12) school. All schools are accredited by the State Department of Education. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has accredited the middle schools and high school. Rockbridge County High School serves county students (85%) and students from the City of Lexington (15%). Seventy-one percent (71%) of high school graduates attend universities, colleges, community colleges, or other schools after graduation.
The school division employs 262 certified teachers. One third of the division’s teachers holds a master’s degree. The division supports low per pupil/teacher ratios for elementary schools: 18:1.
The primary objective of the school system is to “develop and unleash the powers of every student’s mind” (Rockbridge County Schools web site http://www.rcs.rang.k12.va.us/aboutrcs.html). The schools seek to build a sense of “community and common purpose” and to support the diversity and interests students bring to school. High school students have the opportunity to take honors, dual enrollment, and advanced placement courses as well as courses at Washington & Lee University and Dabney S. Lancaster Community College. In addition, students have opportunities to study fine arts, participate in independent study, or explore interests in technology. Local business and industry partners give generous scholarship support for post-secondary education of high school graduates, as well as offer jobs-related assistance.
Our Initiatives
- Innovative Grants: For projects and programs K-12 designed by teachers, students, or teachers and students that move students beyond the core academic and vocational curriculum.
- Fine Arts Experiences: Projects, programs, and experiences that enrich K-12 student opportunities in fine, visual, and performing arts and expose students to new forms of arts experiences; projects that support collaborative arts efforts between schools and community arts groups and artists.
- Professional Development: Grants for teachers and administrators K-12 to participate in professional development and training experiences that have a direct relationship to the goals of the school division.
- Health and Wellness: Projects, programs, and experiences K-12 that expand student, staff, and family opportunities for building awareness about the importance of good physical, social, and mental health habits for successful learning in school.
- Cross-Cultural Experiences: Projects, programs, and experiences that expose students to cross-cultural opportunities to prepare them to learn and live in a global society.
- Enhanced Technology: Projects for state-of-the-art technologies in teaching and learning.
There can be no better long-term investment in your future and in our community than to support education.
The Rockbridge County Public Schools Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation. Financial documents are available for review upon request.