Louisa Schools Chief Up for Challenge: Board Says County Native Can Hit Ground Running, Unafraid of Local Politics

By Calvin R. Trice, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va.

Aug. 1–MINERAL — As the new superintendent of Louisa County Public Schools, Deborah Pettit is making a transition from one second-floor administrative office to another office right down the hall.

But you could say her path to the new office began at Apple Grove Elementary School, where she was a first-grader. Pettit is a Louisa County native who has spent her entire education career in the area.

“This is a great place to be, and I’m as proud as can be to be here,” said Pettit, 57, who had been assistant superintendent for instruction.

The Louisa School Board named Pettit interim superintendent after David Melton departed for Fredericksburg. With the School Board and the Louisa Board of Supervisors trying to agree on costs for a badly needed elementary school, officials decided last week on a quick hire of someone who can immediately grasp local politics, School Board Chairwoman Robin L. Horne said.

“We were just looking for someone who could come in and hit the ground running, and her name kept popping up,” Horne said. “She’s been here all her life. Local politics don’t scare her, so we thought, ‘Let’s go for it.’”

Planning for the elementary school has been prickly. Supervisors already rejected a $24 million plan from the School Board as too pricey. A new elementary school is overdue for the growing school system, which expects to enroll 4,500 students this school year.

Pettit understands the politics and the urgency. The school system recently ordered five trailers for one of its three elementary schools — a temporary solution.

“It affects learning when you have to line students up just to use the bathroom,” she said.

Because she knows so many of the supervisors and grew up with some, her presence as liaison between the school and county governing boards should help soften the normal testiness between the two elected bodies during budget discussions, Horne said. Pettit and County Administrator Lee Lintecum coordinate quarterly joint meetings of the two boards to help with communication.

Jack Wright, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, said he was glad the School Board chose Pettit because of her qualifications and knowledge of the school system. Wright, who has served with Pettit in a volunteer organization, expects her to bring a solid, levelheaded approach to leadership. “She handles everything very well and has a way of bringing things out in [conversation] without being confrontational, and I think that’s a real plus.”

Pettit, who has a doctorate in education from the University of Virginia, says constant and early communication is the key. She said she’ll have her principals start thinking about the next year’s budget at the start of every school year.

“I’m hoping that we can develop a budget process together where we’re keeping the supervisors informed all along of our needs,” she said.

Instruction is central to Pettit’s outlook. A former elementary and middle school principal, she has taught at every level, and was an award-winning reading teacher. She wants continued success in teaching that has earned Standards of Learning accreditation for all Louisa’s schools. Aiding that effort has been a Web-based curriculum with which elementary school teachers can keep track of progress toward SOL benchmarks. The system includes links for help with specific topics, she said.

“What we’ve done is streamline what’s to be taught and put the resources at teachers’ fingertips,” Pettit said.

One of the challenges Pettit will face along with enrollment growth is trying to keep experienced teachers. Louisa recruits young teachers, but because of a lack of local rental housing, many choose to live in Charlottesville or Richmond, then start looking for jobs closer to home, she said.

“They really like it here. We have a family atmosphere where the superintendent gets around to all the schools and knows the teachers by name,” she said. “We have the things that you need to keep teachers, but location is a challenge.” Contact Calvin R. Trice at (540) 932-3674 or ctrice@timesdispatch.com.

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