Bedford County Transparency Project
A Dogwood & Deathcap civic effort
Project Status Update
This project remains active. Progress during late 2025 and early 2026 was affected by conflicting schedules and weather-related disruptions, particularly around public meetings and availability. As a result, the resolution was not formally introduced during the winter session.
The resolution will be reintroduced in Spring 2026, when schedules, attendance, and conditions allow for proper consideration.
Dogwood & Deathcap has donated approximately 10 hours of professional, in-kind advisory and planning support to this effort to date. That contribution reflects research, documentation, and preparation work completed prior to the formal expansion of our consulting practice.
Overview
Bedford County contains three high school districts: Forest, Liberty, and Staunton River.
Every child in the county deserves the same chance at strong schools and safe, well-maintained fields. The only way to know whether that is happening is to see the numbers clearly.
This project does not argue outcomes.
It asks for consistent, public reporting.
Specifically: that basic data already being collected is kept, summarized, and shared annually, broken out by district.
What’s Being Requested
A one-page resolution requesting that Parks & Recreation and Bedford County Public Schools jointly publish an annual report showing:
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Money spent
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Kids served
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Maintenance hours
Broken out by the three high school districts.
No new programs.
No accusations.
No conclusions drawn in advance.
Clear numbers build trust, whatever they end up showing.
Dogwood & Deathcap’s Role
Dogwood & Deathcap does not represent the county, the school system, or Parks & Recreation.
Our involvement has consisted of approximately 10 donated professional hours, including:
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Reviewing publicly available budget and contribution data
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Identifying reporting gaps and inconsistencies
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Drafting a one-page resolution for future consideration
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Organizing findings into a clear, chronological public record
As with other community efforts, this work was provided as time-limited, in-kind support aligned with our mission.
Why We’re Doing This
Clear numbers build trust.
That’s true whether the results show perfect balance or real gaps.
Sunlight isn’t about blame.
It’s about clarity.
And clarity is how communities make better decisions.
In-Kind Contribution to Date
~10 professional hours
(Research, analysis, documentation, and resolution drafting)
