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Highland draws more Culpeper students
Patricia Soley doesn’t have any hard feelings for Culpeper schools. Her son Joe graduates from Floyd T. Binns Middle School this year, and her second child arrives at Binns this fall.
But she worried about the financial problems facing the public school system, and about possible budget cuts to the arts and honors classes her son enjoys.
So she searched for options. Joe was supposed to attend Eastern View High School this fall. Now, he’ll go to Highland School, one of the most prominent independent schools in the region. And while the decision comes with a price tag, Soley says it’s all for the best.
“We’ll do whatever we have to,” Soley said. “Whenever we tell him to step up, he steps up. Now it’s our turn.”
The Soley family isn’t alone.
Over the years Highland administrators have watched as Culpeper students began making up a larger part of their student body.
Two years ago, nine percent of the new students at Highland came from Culpeper. So far, 16 percent of the fall's incoming students will hail from Culpeper. Most Highland students still come from Warrenton, but Culpeper now ties Haymarket for second place.
And while Highland has only 554 students, administrators are shifting their focus toward what has become one of their most fruitful counties.
“Culpeper is a main source of students for us, and we’ve put more attention and focus into attracting students from Culpeper,” Highland Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Chris Pryor said. “We’ve been able to bring strong students.”
In particular, Pryor cited other privates schools in Culpeper such as St. Luke’s Lutheran School. Noteworthy Culpeper athletes have made the transition to Highland as well, including softball players Reba Tutt and Maire Shaughnessy.
He said that Highland had watched enrollment from Culpeper students slowly climb since the beginning of the decade.
The change was first noticed back in the mid-90s, when Highland built its high school. Prior to that, Highland was a K-8 school that primarily served Warrenton students.
“We’ve done more advertising in the past couple years, and we want to reach out to these students,” Pryor said. “We’re finding some really talented students that are looking for a change. It makes for a good match.”
Today, the school boasts of advantages over public schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 10-to-1. Students are screened to determine whether they have what it takes in the new school. And teachers must undergo a rigorous application process before being hired.
But then again, as an independent school Highland doesn’t suffer some of the same handicaps.
Administrators at Culpeper have long argued that meeting federal requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act has taken up much of the time they used to spend in the classroom.
By contrast, Highland is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. Administrators handle the day-to-day operations, but in the end they report only to the school’s board of trustees. That means no benchmarks, and no federal mandates.
"There's no way you can make an accurate comparison," Culpeper school board member Leanne Jenkins said. "The things we have to comply with are not the same they comply with. There's no way we can make an apples-to-apples comparison. If our school system answered to the school board, it sure seems like it would be a lot easier."
Soley’s son hasn’t even started at Highland. But already she’s planning for the second to attend there.
By the time Joe leaves for college, her second son will be entering high school. Paying for enrollment is tough, but so far the financial aid has helped ease the burden.
“It’s like giving my child wings,” Soley said. “He’s going to blossom.”
You may contact Jason Peck at jpeck@timespapers.com
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