In standard metrics of public schools, Liberty High (Bedford, VA) has been having a tough run.
Enrollment has declined. Families who live in the zone quietly transfer their children elsewhere. People talk. They joke. They say it’s not a “good” school. Too small. Too rough around the edges. Not competitive enough. Not safe enough. Not impressive enough.
My husband and I both graduated from Liberty. Both of our sons attend Liberty now. And in the last few years, as we’ve watched the numbers dwindle, we’ve also seen something else happen, something that doesn’t show up on scorecards or rankings, but matters far more…