Bedford County Transparency Project
Mission
The Bedford County Transparency Project exists to promote fairness, accountability, and equitable access to resources for all children and families in Bedford County.
Every student and every player, regardless of where they live, deserves safe facilities, strong schools, and a fair share of local investment.
Through this project, Dogwood & Deathcap is working to bring public data into the light so our community can build trust through understanding.
If the numbers exist, we’ll share them. If they don’t, we’ll work to ensure they are tracked and reported in the future.
Current Focus
In October 2025, Dogwood & Deathcap began a transparency review of Bedford County’s education and recreation funding.
The purpose is to understand:
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How county funds are distributed between school zones and recreation districts
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The level of investment per student and per player
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How much of each department’s budget supports direct programs and field maintenance versus administrative overhead
By seeking and publishing factual data, we aim to help Bedford County move toward measurable equity and accountability in how it serves its children.
Requests Submitted
Bedford County Public Schools
Request covers: per-school and per-zone funding, enrollment, and county investment per student.
Status: Response received October 28, 2025.
The division confirmed that while enrollment and per-student data are available, there are no records showing local (county-only) funding by individual school.
State, local, and federal funds are combined in the general operating budget and not tied to specific expenditure line items.
Dogwood & Deathcap is currently reviewing the data provided to identify patterns, evaluate available per-student figures, and better understand how funding is structured across zones such as Forest, Liberty, and Staunton River.
Bedford County Government (Finance Office)
The County provided a breakdown of total local contributions to Bedford County Public Schools:
Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25)
• School Operating: $33,603,378
• School Textbook: $300,000
• School Capital: $5,489,650
Total County Contribution: $39,393,028
Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24)
• School Operating: $35,393,028
• School Textbook: $200,000
• School Capital: $3,300,000
Total County Contribution: $38,893,028
Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23)
• School Operating: $36,093,028
• School Textbook: $100,000
• School Capital: $2,200,000
Total County Contribution: $38,393,028
Notes:
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The Operating Fund represents day-to-day educational operations and staffing.
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The Capital Fund covers building projects, maintenance, and renovations — which have more than doubled since FY23.
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The Operating Fund decreased slightly from FY24 to FY25, a continuing point of discussion between the School Board and the Board of Supervisors.
Dogwood & Deathcap is continuing to analyze these numbers alongside data received from Bedford County Public Schools.
Bedford County Parks & Recreation
Request covers: budgets by district, number of participants, per-player investment, maintenance frequency, and administrative cost breakdown.
Status: Cost estimate received October 25, 2025.
Assistant County Attorney Brandon Butler provided an itemized estimate of $450, noting that costs could increase if additional staff time is required. The estimate covers roughly 15–20 hours of work to locate and compile data from multiple sources.
This suggests the requested information is not currently maintained as a consolidated dataset and may require manual compilation.
To clarify, Dogwood & Deathcap has reached out directly to Parks & Recreation Director Stuart Saunders to confirm whether district-level tracking systems exist, or if any internal processes are used to evaluate equitable distribution of funding and maintenance across the county.
We are currently awaiting a response.
Next Steps
As responses continue to arrive, Dogwood & Deathcap will:
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Compile and publish all available financial data and documentation
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Provide nonpartisan analysis and visual breakdowns for community review
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Offer constructive recommendations for future transparency and accountability
If Bedford County already tracks equity and fairness effectively, we’ll highlight and celebrate it.
If those systems don’t exist, we’ll work with the community to advocate for policies that ensure they do.
Why It Matters
When communities can clearly see how resources are distributed, it strengthens trust, encourages collaboration, and helps everyone work toward a shared goal, a Bedford County that invests equally in every child.
This project is not about opinion or politics; it’s about facts, clarity, and connection.
To learn how this project began, and it's progress read the field notes: