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Rappahannock School Board honors Larry Grove for years of service

by | Dec 15, 2025

Larry Grove, retiring vice chair of the School Board, surrounded by the board as he receives a resolution in his honor and a clock handmade by students at the board's Tuesday meeting. (Photo/Luke Christopher)

The Rappahannock County School Board began its last meeting of the year Tuesday recognizing longtime educator Larry Grove, who is retiring as vice chair and Stonewall-Hawthorne representative.

Chair Wes Mills read a resolution calling out Grove’s “nearly 13 years of service” on the board, his support of trades programs through the Rappahannock County Lions Club, his leadership through the coronavirus pandemic and “transformative leadership on behalf of students, families, and the community.”

Grove was presented with a plaque and a handmade clock made of wood sourced in the county by board member Chris Ubben, and built by the eighth-grade “Makerspace” class.

“It means more than you know,” Grove said before a recess in the meeting for slices of pie, brought by incoming board member Lynnie Genho who was elected to fill Grove’s seat. 

Nutrition requirements

Jackie Tederick, school nutrition director, gave a presentation about food and nutrition and the hoops the schools have to jump through to comply with government standards, a confusing topic Schools Superintendent Shannon Grimsley likened to a “black hole.”

The schools qualify for free meals for all students, but lunchrooms have to comply with state and federal regulations such as offering approved products and correct portions and food groups. If they do not, Tederick said, they risk not getting funds for those meals. 

The schools recently underwent a federal audit, that occurs every five years, and “demonstrated strong compliance across major areas” and are following federal guidelines, Tederick said. 

Detailed documentation of what was prepared, recipes used, student participation and procurement — what food is being purchased and from where — is required.

“Kids should not come to school and worry about food,” Tederick said. “Our work ensures that every student eats …  and [we] try to make the meals as fun and nutritious as possible.”

Budget planning

Budget planning for fiscal year 2027 is already underway, and the board unanimously approved a schedule of meetings for 2026. 

Key dates include a work session on Jan. 20 and two joint budget meetings with the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 10 and March 18.

Author

  • Ireland Hayes

    Ireland joined Foothills Forum as a full-time reporter in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication with a degree in journalism and minor in music. As a student, she gained valuable experience in reporter and editor positions at The Red & Black, an award-winning student newspaper, and contributed to Grady Newsource and the Athens Banner-Herald. She spent three years as an editorial assistant at Georgia Magazine, UGA’s quarterly alumni publication, and interned with The Bitter Southerner.
    Growing up in a small town in Southeast Georgia, Ireland developed a deep appreciation for rural communities and the unique stories they have to tell. She completed undergraduate research on news deserts, ghost papers and the ways rural communities in Georgia are being forced to adapt to a lack of local news. This research further sparked her interest in a career contributing to the preservation of local and rural news.
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By Ireland Hayes

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Ireland joined Foothills Forum as a full-time reporter in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication with a degree in journalism and minor in music. As a student, she gained valuable experience in reporter and editor positions at The Red & Black, an award-winning student newspaper, and contributed to Grady Newsource and the Athens Banner-Herald. She spent three years as an editorial assistant at Georgia Magazine, UGA’s quarterly alumni publication, and interned with The Bitter Southerner. Growing up in a small town in Southeast Georgia, Ireland developed a deep appreciation for rural communities and the unique stories they have to tell. She completed undergraduate research on news deserts, ghost papers and the ways rural communities in Georgia are being forced to adapt to a lack of local news. This research further sparked her interest in a career contributing to the preservation of local and rural news.