Negotiations between Harrisonburg Schools and Rockingham County Schools continue to reach a new agreement on shared use of Massanutten Technical Center (MTC).
The two school systems have reached agreements with ease for 56 years, but continued increasing MTC enrollment and wait lists are straining the relationship.
Rockingham sent changes to Harrisonburg in mid-March, and now Harrisonburg has proposed changes and awaits response from Rockingham. According to Dr. Michael Richards, changes have not been made to the agreement during the six years he has been superintendent in Harrisonburg.
The current agreement designates that five members from each school board will vote on decisions regarding MTC, which means that if all six members of Harrisonburg‘s school board are present, one member must not vote.
Harrisonburg would like to change voting so that only four members from each board vote and each school board determines on its own who from its board will vote. Rockingham would like to change voting so that one member of Harrisonburg‘s school board votes and four members of Rockingham School Board. Each school board would decide which members.
Currently, MTC seats available to each school system are determined by total high school enrollment for the current school year as of September 30. Harrisonburg would like seats determined by high school enrollment as of September 30. Unused seats would go to the other school system.
On September 30, 2024, Harrisonburg‘s enrollment was 33 percent and Rockingham‘s was 66 percent.
Rockingham would like seats determined by its 80 percent investment in MTC and Harrisonburg‘s 20 percent. Unused seats would go to the other school system.
Harrisonburg does not wish to change the leadership designation of one Rockingham executive and one Harrisonburg clerk. However, Rockingham would like to change the leadership to a superintendent executive and clerk from Rockingham.
The MTC Executive Board has consisted of a chair and vice chair elected each year by the executive board. While Rockingham does not wish to change the designation, Harrisonburg would like a chair and a vice chair to alternate each year and both not be from the same school board.
After the two school systems reach a new agreement, the Virginia Department of Education must review the agreement and it will become effective July 1, 2025.
MTC’s enrollment of students from Harrisonburg and Rockingham high schools was 1,051 for the 2024-2025 school year. According to MTC Director Kevin Hutton, 76 percent were Rockingham students and 24 percent were from Harrisonburg. Nine years ago, when he became director, Rockingham‘s was 86 percent and Harrisonburg‘s was 14 percent.
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Rebecca Barnabi
