Remarks presented to WC School Board

July 3, 2019

Ms. Chairwoman and School Board Members:

I appreciate the opportunity to address my fellow citizens who make up our School Board in Warren County. In the next few minutes I’ll relay my concerns and things I’d like to see implemented in our school system. I know being on the school board is not about all the money you receive but the desire to make our schools the best in Virginia and I thank you.

First, Mr. Drescher I’m sure you are very talented however I do not understand how you had time to be on the EDA Board with two failing schools. This is your first time as a superintendent and I would have thought maybe your time should be spent helping the failing schools reach a standard of excellence. Did anyone of the school board members say anything to your desire to be on the EDA?

Next is a question for Ms. Bower and the board… Mr. Drescher was under contract from July 1, 2015 thru June 30, 2019 at a salary of $154,000. Why give him a new contract at a higher salary $165,837 when he was already under contract ? I’ve been in sales for many years and been under contract, if I had gone into my superiors and said how about a raise during the middle of my contract I would have been laughed out of the building.

Did Mr. Drescher really deserve a raise because our schools went from two failing schools to one? You have teachers leaving the county because they do not make enough and Mr. Drescher gets almost a 12K raise. This is not a wealthy county yet you are spending money like a wealthy county. His total compensation seems to be close to 180K, where does this rank compared to our neighboring counties?

I understand that someone authorized a new roof for Ressie Jeffries and gave the contractor a million-dollar bonus to do the work at night and this does not count the actual cost of the roof. Please tell me my information is wrong. If this is correct why couldn’t you wait a couple months until school was out and saved a million dollars. I’ve read your goals and maybe someone needs to review the Master Plan for maintenance.

I was not a good student and I wasted my mother’s money going to college. College is great for some but I would have been better off going into the military to grow up. When I read your mission statement and goals it seems to me that you are focused on higher education. My guess is that’s fine for 50% of your students but others maybe needed a different type of education. I’d really like to see a new larger expanded technical school in Warren County teaching young people to be electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs etc. I recently read in the newspaper about Lord Fairfax having a simulator for heavy equipment… it be nice to have one in our technical school? If I remember correctly they start out at $45K. That’s great for an 18 or 19 year old.

I’d also like to see an Ethics class being mandatory to graduate. Growing up I don’t remember my parents cussing and I try not to ever use those words as I believe there are better adjectives. I’m not saying I never say one but it’s very rare. An Ethics class can cover many things like being a better classmate, to being honorable in business and finding better adjectives.

In closing, in your Long Range Plan Review Committee maybe it’s time to replace Jennifer McDonald. Thank you for listening and I hope that you spend the counties money wisely like it is coming out of your own wallet.

James Harper
Front Royal, VA