Now that he’s passed his one-year anniversary as principal of Orange County High School, Nick Sodano told me during a recent interview that he’s more at ease in the top role in large part because he knows all the teachers in the building. He signed off on all the contract offers and has hired nearly 30 new faculty members. This year, he plans to devote significant time to mentoring teachers and helping them make their classes lively and relevant to students’ interests and career plans. He continues to see chronic absenteeism at OCHS as a serious problem and has come to believe that high school students often miss class because they don’t see a connection between course material and their own lives, not just because they overslept.
Our conversation in his OCHS office began with a discussion of the number of students enrolled this year. The day we talked, that number was 1,462—about the same as the past couple of years. Because the freshman and sophomore classes are significantly larger than the junior and senior classes, with each of those younger cohorts approaching 400 students, I wanted to know what he thought about that. (The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. For the Class of 2026’s post-graduation plans, see the graphic below.)
Are you concerned about the larger size of the freshman and sophomore classes?
Nick Sodano: It’s a sign of a healthy school division when numbers are growing and when students are coming in the doors. We’re not over capacity. So we’re really excited. More students is more opportunity. And of course, school divisions are funded on daily memberships. Having more students is not bad for the bottom line, but paramount is just more kids to teach and more kids to work with. So yeah, it’s good.
How did things go last year with your effort to reduce chronic student absenteeism?
We did improve, but not to the target. We decreased [absenteeism] a total of 6 or 7% from 33% to 27%. Of course, it’s going to go down a little more once the state does its accounts for students who did after-school learning like tutoring or high-impact tutoring, that sort of thing, so you can get recoups of hours that way, but even if it goes to 25%, it’s still way too high. It’ll remain a major area of focus.
One of the things that’s on my mind as we move into this year is the state’s increasing the criteria for passing scores on SOLs {Standards of Learning tests]. And with those [required passing] scores going up, it’s more important than ever for students to be in here every day. If … students are enrolled in a course for a semester, that means each class is technically the equivalent of two days in a year-long course. And so content moves fast and the expectations for student performance are increasing. We’re going to have to improve that attendance rate and continue to make that a paramount focus to get where we need to go.
Why do students skip school? And why do some skip so often?
There’s such a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s general sickness. Sometimes it’s health and medical reasons. High school students have outside-of-school responsibilities oftentimes, which can get in the way of school attendance. But by and large, if school is relevant and it’s worthwhile, students will show up. So it’s a relevance and an engagement issue.
If we’re making this an experience that students want to be a part of, and if the learning is worthwhile and relevant to their future and to the things they’re trying to do with their life, then they’re going to show up. But when we’re offering them a product that they’re not interested in or a product that they don’t see value in the time spent versus the outcome they received, then we’re not going to capture them.
Really, what I message to teachers is we have to be the show. We have to be on and offering a good product for kids to want to come in and consume it or else we’re going to continue to fight this walk-through-the-doors battle.
I want to go back to this idea of offering students a product. That’s not how I traditionally have thought of education. Is this a change in your thinking or in the pedagogy of secondary education? And I have to say, a little alarm bell went off in my head because I feel like education should not be so transactional.
What I am talking about is the user experience. If a student is coming into the building, we are providing them a service, right? We’re providing them an education and we’re providing them an opportunity to sit in on what should be highly engaging learning experiences. The things that they’re learning should be things that they will use in real life and things that are relevant to what their life is experiencing. When I think about it that way, it’s not so much a product, but it’s a user experience. If you don’t enjoy what you’re being asked to go sit through, then you’re going to be less likely to show up. You’re not going to be as excited or as engaged.
Of course, we want students to do it for the love of learning. That’s its own product. And that’s what I’m kind of getting at—the product that we’re pushing is knowledge. It’s literacy. It’s awareness of all the stuff out there in the world. It’s not a tangible product. It’s a life-bettering experience. For example, the CTE [Career Technical Education] building, that’s going to do just that, right? We’re offering kids an opportunity to engage in hands-on, real-life learning experiences—learning how to be a carpenter, learning how to be an auto mechanic or a chef.
I anticipate those students are going to have higher attendance rates because they are working on workplace credentials. That’s a relevant thing to their life. When I say a product, that’s something that they’ll be able to take and use to better their life. Without goals and directions, some kids don’t have a clear purpose for why they’re showing up every day. They’re showing up because the law says, “I have to be here.”
That’s less motivating than “I’m looking for this knowledge in a certain field” or “I’m really enjoying engaging in books and literature and reading for entertainment.” Are we asking kids to read because we need them to fill a worksheet out at the end, or are we asking them to read because they’re going to uncover some insights that the author is imparting to them?
Making sure that our teachers are equipped to design lessons and provide learning experiences that don’t just ask them to sit for seven hours, but to listen to an engaging lecture and then do something with that knowledge and apply it or synthesize it with a group—that’s what I’m getting at. If you’re making it a fun, valuable experience, people will show up much more than “Got to get up and go to school again tomorrow.” I want it to be a place kids look forward to.
You’ve told me there will be nearly 30 new teachers joining the OCHS staff this year. What are your plans for them?
The teaching cadre that we brought on this year seems to have an energy and a youthfulness. They’re not all youthful, but there’s a good, fresh energy coming in—people who seem highly professional and well-prepared to do the job ahead. I have a great deal of confidence and feel really night-and-day to how I felt last year when I didn’t know what I was walking into. This year, I feel like there’s a really clear picture of where we need to go and what we’re dealing with, in terms of needing to support [teachers] and what we’re dealing with, in a good way.
Everybody in this building this year, I offered a contract to. I couldn’t say that last year. Every teacher in here is somebody that I could say I’ve given my stamp of approval to. The focus this year is going to be taking those people and growing them and coaching them and giving them feedback frequently. The goal this year is going to be on starting here and going there. It’s going to be on taking staff and determining where they need support individually and providing them ongoing coaching and support from myself and the administrative team. I’m primarily going to be focused on the new teachers this year, so I’ve given up some of the departmental responsibilities to the other admin team, and I’m going to focus more on the person side.
How are teachers dealing with student misuse of AI?
We do have a county policy on it that basically dictates that the teacher will indicate at the assignment time what level of AI use is allowed. Are you allowed to use AI for research? Are you allowed to use it as a thought partner? How can you use it? … So teachers are to express what level of AI use they are allowing for that unit or for that assignment.
I would say oftentimes, especially if it’s a student writing assignment, they don’t allow AI to write for the child. But it can become a real challenge to determine the level of AI usage [if a student is suspected of cheating]. A lot of times, you determine, “OK, some AI was used, but how much?” It’s something we’re really still trying to navigate. Do you ask the child to redo the whole thing? Do you ask them to redo a portion of it? Do you ask them to identify what some of these murky words are that may not make sense to them? Not just in education, but as a society, we have to figure out how we’re going to harness this.
Continued good luck to you, Mr. Sodano! And best wishes to all Orange County teachers, staff and students for a great year ahead.
Related coverage: Nick Sodano takes the helm of Orange County High School (July 28, 2025)
Attention, Orange: Blacksburg Town Council member found guilty of illegal voting and election fraud
Regular readers of Byrd Street are well aware of the controversy surrounding the residency status of Orange Town Council member Jason Cashell and former council member Jeremiah Pent. Before and after they were elected in 2022, angry voters accused the two men of not living inside the town limits, as state law requires of local elected officials. Because then-Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) did not authorize an investigation, former Orange County Commonwealth’s Attorney Diana O’Connell didn’t pursue a case against either Cashell or Pent, nor did current Commonwealth’s Attorney S. Page Higginbotham III.
Now, however, a significant precedent is on the books, one that should interest everyone concerned about the legality of Pent’s and Cashell’s terms in office: Former Blacksburg Town Council member Liam Monahan Watson was convicted earlier this year for illegal voting and election fraud. The Roanoke Times reports that the 24-year-old Watson was convicted “on two counts of felony election fraud and one count of illegally voting after prosecutors argued he falsely listed a Blacksburg address on his candidate and voter registration forms while living in Richmond, where he worked as a press secretary for the Democratic Party of Virginia.”
The article states that Watson could have been sentenced to up to 25 years in prison, though the Montgomery County prosecutor did not request such a lengthy sentence. At the sentencing in April, the judge suspended all of Watson’s prison time of six years (two years for each conviction, to be served concurrently). Watson is out on unsupervised probation. The case came about after Watson listed as his residence an address belonging to the former mayor of Blacksburg who allegedly told him that doing so would satisfy residency requirements for serving on council and voting in Blacksburg.
There appear to be parallels between Watson’s circumstances before his arrest and those of Pent and Cashell, who maintained during their campaigns and afterwards that they lived in apartments on Main Street in Orange. It was common knowledge, however, that both of them had home businesses at a remove from Main Street—Pent at Arcadia at Edgewood, a now-shuttered wedding and corporate event enterprise at the Pent family farm in Madison County, and Cashell at Mayhurst Estate, a luxury B&B that he and his wife, Casey, run in Orange County. Although a portion of the Mayhurst acreage is inside the town limits, the house is not. The residence has a county street address.
Prosecution of local elected officials in cases of this kind is rare, and one wonders whether the Blacksburg matter caught the eye of Miyares because Watson worked for the Virginia Democratic Party. Regardless, the investigation was warranted, and the outcome provides a clear precedent for county prosecutors looking for relevant case law in similar cases.
Dead horse or live issue?
Pent quit Orange Town Council last fall, and Cashell is not running for reelection in November. In a text exchange on Saturday (Aug. 1), I asked Cashell if he saw parallels between his situation and Watson’s before Watson was arrested. Cashell responded, in part, “What’s wrong with you?? … You continue to beat a dead horse.” He also wrote, “My entire driveway is in the town, our mailbox is in the town. I am not off in some other community.” In writing this, Cashell appears to acknowledge that he doesn’t live on Main Street in Orange.
I was curious to know what Cashell’s fellow council members thought. In response to a list of questions I sent in individual emails to Mayor Harrison Cluff, Vice Mayor Jeff Crane, Delmer Seal and Donna Waugh-Robinson, Crane wrote back, “Your questions should be directed to the Commonwealth Attorney's Office.” As of 1 p.m. Monday, I had not heard back from Cluff or Waugh-Robinson. Seal sent a substantive response.
In reply to my first question, Seal wrote, “I do see parallels between Jason’s situation and Mr. Watson's circumstances before his arrest. As I have said before, I believe anyone serving on the Orange Town Council should be a full-time resident of the town. That means maintaining a genuine home in the Town of Orange where the person regularly eats, sleeps, and showers—not merely an address or a place visited for a few hours each week.”
Acknowledging that Cashell is not running for reelection and that it’s up to Cashell alone to decide whether or not to resign, Seal wrote, “Still, I believe every council member has an obligation to ensure that both their actual residence and voter registration comply with the law. If he does not genuinely reside within the town limits, I believe he should seriously consider resigning.”
In his further responses to my questions, Seal wrote, “When Mr. Cashell and Mr. Pent were elected, I heard concerns from town residents about whether they genuinely lived within the town limits and whether their voter-registration information accurately reflected their residences. Those concerns were significant and should not be dismissed simply because the candidates were elected.
“Orange voters have every right to contact Police Chief Rebecca Nelson, Sheriff Jason Smith, the Commonwealth’s Attorney, or other appropriate officials and ask that the matter be reviewed. Whether those officials have sufficient grounds to open an investigation is for them to decide based on the evidence and applicable law,” he said.
Seal concluded, “It is my honest opinion that both Jason Cashell and Jeremiah Pent took advantage of what appears to be a loophole or weakness in the system to run for and serve on the Town Council. Regardless of whether their conduct is ultimately found to be illegal, the public deserves clear residency rules, consistent enforcement, and confidence that elected officials genuinely live in the communities they represent.”
Court date set for pre-trial motion in lawsuit involving Jeremiah Pent
Former Orange Town Council member Jeremiah Pent has a court date set for Wednesday, Nov. 4, in Madison County Circuit Court. The pre-trial motion appears to be for his counsel’s request that the judge throw out the lawsuit filed against Pent and several of his Walker’s Chapel colleagues.
Related coverage: Walker’s Chapel directors fire, then sue pastor Jeremiah Pent: Former Orange Town Council member continues to hold services and align church with Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (July 7)
Republican primary wraps up Tuesday
Election Day for Virginia’s Republican primary is Tuesday, Aug. 4. As of Friday morning (July 31), 237 early voters had cast their ballots in Orange County, according to Director of Elections and General Registrar Donna Harpold. For those choosing to vote in the primary on Election Day, you can find your polling place here.
Letter to the Editor from Frank S. Walker Jr.
Orange County historian foresees dangerous water crisis
To the Editor:
My canoeing friend has now secured all of the verified April water flow data for the Ruckersville gauging station. It begins in 1943 and ends in 2025, with a three-year gap caused by the destructive 1995 and 1996 Great Floods. By taking out the ultra-high and ultra-low spikes and finding a middle, the April statistical mean high flow is around 173 cubic feet per second (cfs) and an average low around 73 cfs. Going into the week-long wet spell in mid-May, the Rapidan was running at a significantly low 26-40 cfs range, reflecting the dry late winter and spring. Two bursts of heavy rain during that wet spell produced flows of over 300 cfs, but as soon as the rain stopped, the flow began dropping dramatically. As of June 7, the flow was 59 cfs.
A kayaking friend checks on the river’s depth at the Somerville Ford gauging station, which is a short distance upstream from the Rt. 522 bridge. He advises me that the river’s depth at the end of that wet week was 2.88 feet. As of June 7, it had dropped to 0.89 feet. He says that at 1.2 feet, canoes and kayaks drag so much in the stretch between Spicer’s Mill and Rt. 522 that it makes floating the river more of a job than a joy.Orange County has now instituted a search for an impoundment site. Greene County’s experience may be instructive. That county supervisors decided upon constructing an impoundment in 2008. By 2011, the land had been purchased and
permits were beings secured. There was then an extended lull, but Greene County recently extended its permits to 2028 and began construction late last winter. Called the White Run Reservoir, it will feature a 125-acre lake containing 900 million gallons of water. The 2024 price tag estimate that included a new water plant was $75 million.Of great interest to Orange County residents is the fact that the construction includes a pumping station on the Rapidan accompanied by language on how much Greene County will be authorized to pump out of the river. One person who saw this information observed that fish between that pumping station and the Rapidan dam better learn how to use roller skates. Orange County needs to build its own reservoir—and soon!
Frank S. Walker Jr.
Frank S. Walker Jr. is Orange County’s preeminent historian and the author of “Remembering: A History of Orange County, Virginia.” This letter builds on his three-part cautionary tale about the likelihood of a regional water crisis. To read the series, go to part one, two and three.
🦁 🦁 Leo the Lion: Horoscope by Artemis Dandelion 🦁 🦁
Leos (born July 23-August 22) tend to be very loyal. You treat your friends and loved ones well, encouraging and supporting them generously. Your leadership strength is not necessarily administrative but rather inspirational: You keep everyone connected and focused through your powerful presence.
Leos are seldom part of a clique, instead showing friendliness and politeness to everyone. Your self-confidence, however, means you may become too attached to your own achievements and the way other people see you. While almost everyone can be mesmerized by your big personality, you can get in your own way when you feel ignored. Don’t let a bruised ego ruin other people’s good time. They love being around you, even if they don’t always let you know it. —Artemis Dandelion
People celebrating birthdays under the sign of Leo include Daniel Radcliffe (July 23), Ellen Pitera (July 27), Kiki Petrosino (July 29), Caroline Armentrout Marrs (July 30), MaryBeth Miller (Aug. 6), Mary Freeman (Aug. 8), Hillary Hall (Aug. 12), Melissa Williams (Aug. 16) and Katie Hand (Aug. 17).
Artemis Dandelion offers celestial insight and guidance but modestly declines to predict the future. The Orange resident uses a nom de plume because she is fond of plumes.
TGIR!
After endless weeks of torturously dry weather, we finally caught a break over the weekend. Let’s hope the forecast is accurate and we get more good, sweet rain this week.
Here are the latest weather stats. FYI, the historic average rainfall for July was 4.39 inches, nearly twice the amount recorded last month at the Northern Piedmont Center.
Obituaries
Kemper Rixey “Ricky” Crane Jr., 75, Orange; Timothy Allen Chewning, 54, Unionville; Philip Lloyd Harris, 78, Locust Grove; Kevin Richard Keaveny, 68, Unionville; Mary Roudabush, 77, Gordonsville; Mary Ann Hill Mundy, 59, Orange; Daniel Louis Gaskill, 69, Locust Grove; Robert Astor “Bobby” Langford Jr., 53, Orange; Mary Louise “Mary Lou” Morton Seilheimer, 85, Orange; Daniel Louis Gaskill, 69, Locust Grove.
Coming up soon
Orange Town Council work session, Community Meeting Room, 234 Warren St., 6 p.m., Monday, Aug. 3
Lake of the Woods Art Show opening reception, The Arts Center in Orange, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 5
Orange County Planning Commission regular meeting, 6 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 6
Orange County Board of Supervisors regular meeting, 5 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 11
Freedom Frolic Assembly, Piedmont Historical Dancers celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary with English country dancing, Orange County Visitor’s Center, 7-10 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 15
“Seeking Light,” art exhibition by Firnew Farm Artists’ Circle, Baker Gallery, Woodberry Forest School, with closing reception, 4-6 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 23
Community Day, organized by Cooper Cookin Catering, Taylor Park, Orange, 12-5 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 29
Introduction to Beekeeping, free and open to all, Chateau Merrillanne, 16234 Marquis Road, Orange, 1-2:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 29
Fifth Saturday Open Mic, Waddell Memorial Presbyterian Church, 7133 Rapidan Road, Rapidan, doors open 5:30 p.m., potluck supper, 6 p.m., gospel, bluegrass, musician’s choice, 7-9 p.m. (open to all musicians, including new performers; audience members welcome to come and listen); Saturday, Aug. 29
Orange Street Festival, Saturday, Sept. 5
In case you missed it
Byrdcast: Gordonsville’s Ron Brooks gives himself a ‘B’ for his first year and a half as mayor (July 28)
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