Statewide Tour Gets Underway Next Week To Address School Funding Disparities In Commonwealth

Bristol Virginia School Superintendent Dr. Keith Perrigan, who is also President of the Coalition of Small and Rural Schools of Virginia says in a letter, he believes the coalition is gaining steam on the issue of disparity in funding for schools across the Commonwealth. Perrigan and students, staff, and the community will attend a school tour in Radford Virginia next Wednesday to get a first hand look at the difference in what is, compared to what could be when it comes to funding for local school systems. Perrigan says the tour is not to cast blame, but to bring awareness to the those funding differences. Dr. Perrigan says the issue cannot be solved by localities alone, but will need the assistance of combining Federal, State and Local resources to ensure that a child’s zip code does not become a predictor of the quality of education they receive.