Front Royal resident questions dual roles of Warren County Public Schools Superintendent

James Harper, who lives on Rockland Road in Front Royal, Va., had 3 minutes to speak his peace during the community participation segment of the July 3 Warren County School Board meeting, but he went over that allotted amount of time.

During the regular meeting, Harper had several questions for school board members and for Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) Superintendent Greg Drescher regarding the positions he holds for WCPS and as a member of the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority (EDA) Board of Directors.

Drescher stepped down as EDA chairman in August 2018 but remains a member of the EDA board, which is currently embroiled in a financial scandal in which two former EDA staff — Executive Director Jennifer McDonald and Administrative Assistant Michelle “Missy” Henry — each are in jail on multiple felony counts for their alleged involvement in the misappropriation or embezzlement of some $21 million in EDA assets.

“Mr. Drescher, first, I’m sure you’re a very talented guy, but I do not understand how you have time to be on the EDA board with two failing schools,” Harper said, reading from his prepared statement. “This is your first time as a superintendent and I would have thought maybe your time should have been spent helping the failing schools reach a standard of excellence.”

Town and county residents have been blowing up social media outlets and local government meetings asking for answers about the alleged theft by EDA staff and others of taxpayer dollars, among other suspected improprieties in the ongoing EDA case.

“Did anyone on the school board say anything to you about your desire to be on the EDA board?” asked Harper, looking up from his statement to stare directly at Drescher.

Harper then turned his attention to Warren County School Board Chairwoman Catherine Bower and her colleagues on the school board.

“Next is a question for Miss Bower and the board: Mr. Drescher was under contract from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2019 with a salary of $154,000. Why give him a contract at a high salary — $165,837 —when he was already under contract?” Harper said. “I have been in sales for many years and been under contract. If I’d gone in to my superiors and said ‘How about a raise?’ during the middle of my contract, I would have been laughed out of the building.”

Harper added, “Did Mr. Drescher really deserve a raise because the schools went from two failing schools to one? You have teachers leaving the county because they do not make enough money and Mr. Drescher gets a $12,000 raise.”

Bower already had reminded the audience at the start of the community participation segment of the meeting that while school board members would not respond that evening to presented issues, “please be assured that any concerns will be reviewed.”

Interestingly, however, school board members did indirectly address Harper’s concerns during their individual reports to the board.

For instance, during Drescher’s superintendent report reviewing school year 2018-2019, he said the compensation benefits package presented in February “has ended up being a huge help to our efforts to retain teachers this year.”

“Our goal is to retain more staff,” Drescher said. “We know that any good business does not retain 100 percent of its staff all the time, but they don’t lose the level that we were losing.”

Drescher pointed to data showing that Warren County has had more than 60 staff leave each year for the last six years, an annually rising number that peaked last year with 72 staff leaving.

“But his year we’re at 59,” he said, “so our goal is to get in the 40s. We’re halfway there with one year making a difference in our salary. I’m very proud that that has happened. It’s going to make a difference for our students because more teachers are going to stay and gain those experiences and help our students learn.”

And school board member C. Douglas Rosen, who represents the Shenandoah District, publicly acknowledged those efforts.
“I was in business for 37 years and I know how tough it is fighting for dollars when you aren’t making any and losing employees,” said Rosen, leaning forward in his chair to look over at

Superintendent Drescher, who sat to his right. “One thing I can say about our compensation fund or study, we did the right thing. That will pay off and we all know that. So, I’m very pleased to thank the executive management, management groups, teachers, everybody that runs this system and runs it as smoothly and as well as transparent with everything that’s going on.”

In addition to his concerns about Drescher’s jobs, Harper suggested that school board members institute what he considers to be a few new county-wide educational benefits.

“I’d really like to see a larger, expanded technical school in Warren County teaching young people to be electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs, and so forth,” said Harper, noting that higher education isn’t for everyone.

Harper also said that he’d like to see an ethics class become mandatory for high school graduation in Warren County, Va.

“Growing up, I don’t ever remember my parents cussing and I try not to ever use those words because I believe there are better adjectives,” Harper said. “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, Harper also suggested that the school board consider replacing former EDA executive director McDonald on its long-range plan review committee and said, “I hope you will spend the county’s money wisely like it’s coming out of your own wallet.”

The Royal Examiner’s camera was there.