This amendment provides $400,000 the second year from the general fund to Alleghany County school division in support of the efforts of the Alleghany County School Board, Alleghany County Board of Supervisors, Covington City School Board and the Covington City Council toward investigating and determining benefits of operating a joint school division. The Covington School Board, Alleghany County School Board, the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors, and the Covington City Council have all recently appointed two members from each of the respective governing bodies to form a Committee to explore the necessary steps and actions needed for the creation of a joint school board in the Alleghany Highlands. The additional incentive funds would be used for legal fees, studies, and any other expenses associated with the planning of a joint school system between Alleghany County and Covington City public schools. Alleghany County Public Schools is currently operating in the final year of the fifteen year adjusted local composite index that has been in place since Clifton Forge reverted to a town. Since the 2004 reversion, Alleghany County has lost 34 percent of its enrollment and has gone from 2,993 students to 1,968 students in the Fall of 2018. A joint school system in the Alleghany Highlands would offer area students more diverse opportunities and would be a more efficient use of tax payer funds at both the local and state level. In the event that the Committee does not come up with a consolidation plan for Alleghany County Public Schools and Covington City Schools, the remainder of the incentive money would be allocated and used to support their jointly operated career and technical center, Jackson River Technical Center.