ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. (ROCKTOWN NOW) – The results are in from a survey that gathered community feedback regarding Rockingham County Public Schools’ Comprehensive Plan.

The survey got more than 2,300 responses, which were presented at Monday night’s school board meeting. According to School Superintendent Dr. Larry Shifflett, the community noted school safety and academic excellence as the division’s highest priorities.

There is also interest in a math specialist pilot program in the county’s elementary schools, which Shifflett said could follow RCPS’s reading instruction program.

“You think about, you know, doing that work, repeating that work that we just did with elementary reading – man, that was heavy,” Shifflett said. “So now we have a different approach where we’re going to just really find people who are experts at teaching elementary math. So, it’s not as many folks, right? So now we’re going to get the very best math teachers that we can find.”

Shifflett will return with a finalized version of the Comprehensive Plan for a vote at the Board’s December meeting.