Board agrees to transfer county preschool program to Y of Rockbridge with two years of funding

Rockbridge County supervisors voted Jan. 28 to transfer the county-run preschool program to the Y of Rockbridge, approving a draft agreement that preserves existing sites and provides two years of level funding paid quarterly to the YMCA to support a planned summer transition.

County staff said the board’s priorities were to move the program to an entity with closer alignment to education and child care, maintain services at current locations (Fairfield, Goshen, Glasgow, Effinger) and preserve staff continuity. "The agreement calls for 2 years," county staff stated when explaining the funding schedule; staff also said the YMCA gave a verbal commitment to keep current preschool staff in place.

Board members asked how year-three funding would be handled and whether children from neighboring localities might participate. Staff said the two-year funding term is intended as a springboard for the YMCA to build its own funding base and that the YMCA has access to funding sources the county does not. Supervisors requested that the county and YMCA prioritize Rockbridge children if capacity becomes constrained.

The motion to approve the agreement passed after a second. County staff will finalize the agreement, provide parents and guardians with transition information, and disburse quarterly payments during the two-year period.

The agreement does not specify a year-three funding commitment; the board and staff said future funding would be determined later and that the YMCA could pursue other funding opportunities.