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Vol. 27, No. 18 | Richmond Suburban Newspapers | September 1, 2010
County ends fiscal year with $7.5 mil surplus By Jim Ridolphi For The Mechanicsville Local Hanover County ended the 2009-2010 fiscal year with a projected $7.5 million surplus. That was the good news brought before the board of supervisors last week. Accounting division director
Craig Eastman said the county’s cost savings measures added an additional $13.7 million to the budget, offsetting the decreased revenues the county collected, about $6 million short of expectations. Hanover County Public Schools saved more than $5
million in cost cuts, and the board voted to return $2 million to a reserve fund for the school system. The Reserve for Revenue Stabilization received $2 million. The remaining $3.3 million was used to balance the 2011 budget.
South Anna District supervisor Gordon said the savings and final numbers were a result of hard work and dedication by the school system and the county. “I congratulate Mr. Harris and the superintendent of schools (Stewart D. Roberson)
for their efforts, and to the citizens of Hanover County for supporting those efforts,” Gordon said before the board moved to accept the positive year-end report. The question of how to fill the vacancy left by retiring Col. V. Stuart Cook is not exactly
clear. The board is required by statute to file for a writ of election in Circuit Court within 15 days of the sheriff ’s departure. State guidelines also require the second in command – Lt. Col. David Hines — assume that position until a special election see SURPLUS, pg. 34 `
Superintendent: Pole Green Elementary welcome to new term marks 10 years of successes
(Editor’s note: As Hanover nounce that preliminary reports County Public Schools students from the prepare to return to the classVirginia room on Tuesday, Stewart D. DepartRoberson, superintendent of m e n t schools, shares the following mesof Edusage.) cation This year Hanover County indicate Public Schools (HCPS) will that, for serve approximately 19,400 stuthe ninth dents in preschool to grade 12 in consecufour high schools, four middle tive year, schools, 15 elementary schools, 100 perROBERSON The Georgetown School, and cent of The Hanover Center for Trades Hanover and Technology. schools will earn full accreditaAs a student-centered and tion based on the 2010 Virginia community-driven school dissee WELCOME, pg. 34 ` trict, we are very proud to an-
By Melody Kinser mkinser@mechlocal.com When the doors open at Pole Green Elementary School on Tuesday, students, faculty and staff will join in celebrating 10 years of successes. With a theme of “Great Gators Accomplish Great Things!,” the school noted several accomplishments last year, including receiving a 2010 Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence and the principal being rec-
ognized as a national Kagan scholarship recipient. Rhonda Epling said her Kagan honor stemmed from the school’s use of the program’s cooperative learning strategies. She attended a week-long workshop this summer, which will enable her “to provide additional professional development to my teachers.” She said the Kagan program is “about teaching children to work cooperatively, engaging students in
their learning, and students working in teams and being independent learners.” During training last year, a Kagan trainer urged Epling to apply for the scholarship, “based on what I could share, how Kagan was being implemented in my school, and I won.” She was one of 25 nationally to receive the scholarship and the only one from Virginia. “I was very honored to represent Pole Green see POLE GREEN, pg. 4 `
Rhonda Epling, principal of Pole Green Elementary School, is shown with the Kagan Cooperative Learning guide.