Faced with declining enrollments, the Mathews County School Board unanimously approved a reduction in its yearly tuition rate for out-of-county students from $2,500 to $1,000. The board approved the change during a meeting Tuesday evening in the Mathews High School media center.

"Our ADM (Average Daily Membership) is down … I think we need to reduce it," school board member Lanell Jarvis said, referring to the tuition fee. "We definitely have room for them," said Superintendent David J. Holleran, who recommended the drop in tuition.

Holleran said that he believes that the school division will pick up some new students as a result of the lower tuition. Some of those considering Mathews for their children are the parents of middle school-aged children, and the $2,500/year tuition would be cost prohibitive, even though the division does allow the fee to be paid on a monthly basis, he said.

In addition to the tuition payment, the school division would als...