BEDFORD, Va. – A legal fight is brewing in Bedford County over plans to close a long-standing neighborhood school, and parents say they were left out of the process entirely.
Stewartsville Elementary School is at the center of a dispute that has left families scrambling for answers. In March, the Bedford County School Board introduced a plan to close the school. At that same meeting, the board held a public hearing and then voted to move forward with the closure.
One parent, Joy Powers, has since taken the fight to court. Her lawsuit alleges the board violated state rules by failing to publish a required seven-day notice before the public hearing.
“I would encourage all parents of the Staunton River School Zone to be on high alert on how these decisions are going to be impacting their students,” Powers said. “There is still a high likelihood that they are not just going to impact Goodview and Stewartsville students, but these are also going to impact Moneta and Huddleston 4th graders as well.”
Capacity concerns
Parent Amanda Bryan says the numbers don’t add up. She argues that closing Stewartsville and redirecting its students would push a neighboring school well beyond its limits.
“Stewartsville is underutilized. We’re going to take Goodview and put it over capacity,” Bryan said. “Moving all of the Stewartsville projected attendance for next year to Goodview would put Goodview at about 114% of its capacity.”
Bryan also says the school board is not doing enough to involve families in the decision.
“They’re not actually seeking parental input and I think our kids deserve a lot better than that,” she said.
Unanswered questions
Parents say the closure was sprung on them with no clear answers about where students will go, how bus routes will change, or which grades will move — and the uncertainty is already disrupting plans for the upcoming school year.
Parent Alicia Botts says families with children in specialized programs are particularly frustrated by the lack of communication.
“There’s still so many questions that nobody can get answered — especially with the adaptive program,” Botts said. “I wrote an email and gave them 10 days to answer a lot of the questions that needed to be answered.”
What’s next
The lawsuit is scheduled to go before a Bedford County judge in June. This past Monday, the school board filed a motion to dismiss the suit under sovereign immunity, essentially arguing it cannot be sued.
10 News reached out to the district for comment but had not heard back.