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Back on May 2, the front entrance to Central High School was blocked for all of the morning and stretching into the early afternoon. It wasn’t due to the recent storms or because of any new problems. Instead, it was due to the district’s plan to fix a recurring one. And now, as we head to the end of the school year, students and parents alike get to see the final results. Repairs have been finished to address long-standing issues with the school’s roof. 

“We are excited to see the improvements enhance the learning environment and reinforce our commitment to maintaining high-quality school facilities,” Lunenburg County Public Schools Media Coordinator Meri Page Spencer shared with the Dispatch. 

Central High was formed decades ago in 1966 when the towns of Victoria and Kenbridge merged school districts because of desegregation in Virginia. Over time, the affected area of Central High’s roof that was repaired this month experienced water leakage that impacted the ceiling and light fixtures, eventually raising safety concerns. The school district made the decision to allocate funds for roof repairs to address these concerns. 

The recently completed roof repair project cost the Lunenburg County School District $127,000. 

Central High students excel

The need for repairs hasn’t impacted Central High students in the classroom. Central was one of just 92 schools across the state to earn the Virginia Board of Education’s Highest Achievement Award this year. The annual award is given out to recognize schools that excelled in all areas. Every year, the Board of Education gives out two sets of “Exemplar” awards. The first is to recognize growth, to honor schools that improved from year to year. There were 49 on that list for 2024. The second is to pay tribute to schools like Central High that excelled across the board.

In order to make this second list, a school has to perform higher than the state standard in reading, math and science in the Standards of Learning tests. That goes for all student groups across the school. Also, the school in question has to be rated better than the state average in the graduation and dropout rate, as well as chronic absenteeism. And based on scores, pass rates and data from this past school year, Central High certainly qualifies.