A 54-year-old partnership ended at the regular meeting of the Harrisonburg School Board on Aug. 5 when the board voted to withdraw from its agreement with Rockingham County Schools in the governance of Massanutten Technical Center (MTC).
While Harrisonburg students currently enrolled in courses at MTC, including students starting coursework in fall 2025, will be given the opportunity to finish, Harrisonburg Schools will no longer be involved with MTC effective June 30, 2027.
“We’ve reached a point where we can no longer move forward with Rockingham County. They seek control over MTC, but, as a school division, we have a constitutional responsibility for the students within our boundaries. We cannot, legally or ethically, relinquish that responsibility by agreeing to Rockingham‘s proposed changes to the voting structure,” said Harrisonburg School Board Chair Emma Phillips.
According to Phillips, Rockingham asked for a higher percentage of seats in the program at a reduction of Harrisonburg student enrollment, which Harrisonburg School Board would not support.
Rockingham County School Board moved on with plans of its own to build a new technical center and excluded Harrisonburg Schools and the MTC Executive Board.
“For the last eight months, we’ve worked tirelessly to find common ground, but instead of improving, the situation has only continued to diverge. It has become clear that there is no viable path forward under the current structure of the MTC Executive Board. Continuing this disagreement no longer serves the best interests of either division,” Phillips said.
Rockingham County School Board Chair Sara Horst said that the school system received Harrisonburg Schools‘ intent to withdraw from the partnership, and wish the city school system “the best as it moves toward determining CTE programming for their students.”
“RCPS remains committed to continuing the excellence of MTC with our own students. Our intent continues to be to strengthen and improve the facilities and programming offered to RCPS students. The training offered at MTC is an integral part of Rockingham County work force development and offers incredible opportunities for our students that we will continue to offer, regardless of Harrisonburg’s decision to end the partnership,” Horst said.
She added that she looks forward to sharing plans with the community for the future of CTE programming for Rockingham County Schools.
“We are proud of our students. We believe in their potential. And we are excited to shape a new path forward – one that opens even more doors for their futures,” Harrisonburg Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Richards posted in a statement on the school system’s website.
The MTC Executive Board contained members from both school systems. Phillips said she hopes the city and county can move forward and build opportunities for shared student access to CTE programs without sharing a physical center governed by a shared board.
Phillips said that Harrisonburg Schools will begin development of a plan for a new program for its students who are interested in CTE opportunities.
“It’s deeply disappointing to find ourselves here. A year ago, I never could have imagined this outcome,” Phillips said.
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Rebecca Barnabi
