The Cost of Transparency: Where We Stand in Bedford County
- Cody Jones
- Oct 28, 2025
- 3 min read
In October, Dogwood & Deathcap launched the Bedford County Transparency Project to better understand how our county invests in its children both in education and recreation.
The goal is simple: to find out where the money goes, what the data shows, and whether Bedford County actively tracks and reports how resources are distributed.
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.
Because transparency builds trust, and trust builds stronger communities.
What We Requested
Through Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), we submitted requests to both Bedford County Public Schools and Bedford County Parks & Recreation, asking for three years of data on:
Budgets and funding by school zone and recreation district
Enrollment and participation numbers
Per-student and per-player investment
Field maintenance and administrative costs
The purpose was simple: to see whether Bedford County tracks resource distribution in a way that allows citizens to clearly see how investments are shared among districts.
Education: Starting with the Facts
Bedford County Public Schools has provided a detailed response, and we appreciate the professionalism and clarity of their communication.
Their reply confirmed that the division does not maintain records that split out local (county-only) funding by school. Instead, state, local, and federal funds are blended together in the operating budget and are not directly tied to specific expenditure line items.
At this stage, we can’t say what the numbers will show, we’ll need to dig into the data that was provided, including enrollment and per-student figures, and evaluate what insights can be drawn from it.
Our focus now is to analyze the data, identify patterns, and understand how the funding structure works across the county.
Parks & Recreation: The $450 Estimate
Our request to Bedford County Parks & Recreation asked for budget allocation by district, participation numbers, registration revenue, and field maintenance data.
Assistant County Attorney Brandon Butler, who also serves as the County’s FOIA contact, provided an itemized cost estimate, that was sent to him, to fulfill that request.
The county projected 15 to 20 hours of staff time across multiple employees, estimating a total of $450, with the possibility that the cost could be higher if additional work was required.
That raises an important question:
If the County already tracks this data in a central format, why would it take that much time and money to retrieve it?
Seeking Clarification
Rather than make assumptions, we reached out directly to Parks & Recreation Director Stuart Saunders to ask:
Does Bedford County Parks & Recreation currently maintain any form of district-level tracking or reporting for budgets, participation, or maintenance?
If not, are there any internal systems used to ensure resources and funding are distributed equitably across the county’s recreation districts?
We are currently awaiting a response.
If such systems exist, we’ll review and share them.
If they don’t, we’ll work with the community and county leadership to build them.
Why Transparency Matters
When the public can see how resources are distributed, it removes speculation and replaces it with accountability.
It allows residents, staff, and elected officials to have conversations grounded in facts rather than frustration.
Our goal is to help Bedford County strengthen trust by making information easy to find, understand, and share, so that equity and fairness can be measured, not assumed.
Next Steps
Continue reviewing the education data and publish a full analysis once complete.
Await Parks & Recreation’s response and determine whether district-level tracking exists.
Draft a policy proposal for an annual “Resource Distribution Equity Report” that could be adopted by the Board of Supervisors, ensuring this information becomes public every year going forward.
Whether the numbers show perfect balance or areas for improvement, the public deserves to see them.
Because transparency builds trust, and trust builds a better county community.
Follow the Project:
Dogwood & Deathcap | Community Projects
10% of all profits support local transparency and accountability initiatives.
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