By Brianna Hatch
According to the 2020 Census, Lexington City has a population of 20.9 percent residents of color. In Rockbridge County, 8.1 percent of the population identifies as nonwhite.
But President of the Rockbridge NAACP Reginald Early says there are no teachers of color in either school district – which he says is harmful to all students’ education.
Attracting diverse teachers to the rural area is a significant barrier. But the NAACP is working to raise awareness about the issue and offer incentives like the Irma Thompson Educational Fund to recruit more candidates. Chief Business Officer of Rockbridge County Schools Jason Kirby says the district is also increasing outreach to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
There has been little success in these efforts so far but efforts continue to hire educators of color.