Education

In an effort to save money, the Bedford County School Board is considering altering the start times of schools next year, allowing some buses to double up on the routes they run each day.

    Under the proposal being considered, elementary schools would start about 30 minutes earlier (7:55 a.m.) than the current school day which begins at 8:25 a.m. The day would end at 2:35 p.m.; the current day ends at 3:05 p.m.

Two Bedford County teachers were able to spend a week in China last month. They hope they’ll be able to use what they learned to help their students.

    The opportunity came through an invitation from the Office of Chinese Language Council International’s North American office, located in Vancouver, Canada. Though the session was intended for teachers of Chinese language, Ashlie Hirschman and Rhonda Luckie were still invited to attend even though they do not teach Chinese. They are both still in the process of learning the language.

Bedford County eighth graders in the Forest and Liberty zones could be roaming the halls of Jefferson Forest and Liberty high schools next year. But that’s just one of several options being considered to deal with facility issues in the county.

The Bedford County School Board will look at the upcoming year’s budget line by line, looking for savings.

    Randy Hagler, the school division’s chief financial officer, believes he has already found one place to save. Hagler presented his idea to the school board during a marathon work session last week.