HARRISONBURG, Va – The Rockingham County School Board adopted next school year’s operating budget at its meeting on Monday night.

The more than $176 million spending plan is an increase of over two million dollars from last year.

The vote was 4-1 with board member Jackie Lohr casting the lone vote against approving the budget.

School officials will now present its budget to the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors.

Behind Closed Doors

School Board Chair Matt Cross also addressed the board’s decision to hired new legal counsel last week, which generated controversy as the action was taken a vote during a closed-door meeting.

The action ended a nearly 40-year relationship with Harrisonburg law firm BotkinRose. While he didn’t specify the board’s reasons behind the decision, Cross said it came down to a matter of trust.

“The board felt like BotkinRose did not have the board’s best interests,” Cross said. “And over the past couple of months, circumstances have risen that have caused the Board to question our board-attorney relationship.”

The Daily News Record reported Friday that the board hired Harrisonburg law firm Litten & Sipe as their new legal counsel.