
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, April 6, 1990                   TAG: 9004060950
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A14   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

OVERSPENDING

LIKE THE youngster who has blown his allowance, the Roanoke County schools are short of cash until they get another installment from the supervisors. The youngster might have to skip video games or after-school treats for a week or so, but nobody else is hurt. The schools have a more serious problem. They have a payroll to meet and bills to pay. And the schools don't get paid again until July 1.

School officials deliberately overspent their budget, but they say they did so with good reason. The county supervisors had refused their request for funds to expand a dropout-prevention program. School officials knew the program was worthwhile, so they went ahead and expanded it from a half-day to a full day anyway. Superintendent Bayes Wilson said it was wasteful to run the Career Center program for only a half-day.

The school officials figured they'd make up the money by cutting back in other areas, but that plan didn't work out. Now they're $1 million short, and have asked the supervisors for a $500,000 advance on next year's budget. If they don't get it, they won't be able to make the June payroll, or at least not all of it.

Without the money, teachers and other employees would get reduced paychecks, with the rest to be paid after the new year begins July 1. This is not exemplary fiscal management.

The county's Career Center program is a good one: Not one of its 150 students has dropped out of school. But there are numerous programs of potential value to students that aren't in the budget. Busting the budget is justified only by an emergency.

What happens now? The supervisors and school officials reportedly have worked out a solution: The schools would get the cash advance they want, on the condition they agree to a plan to ensure this never happens again. School officials would save face, and would be spared the wrath of underpaid teachers.

The Board of Supervisors is under no obligation to advance the schools the $500,000. The supervisors allocate money for the school budget, but have no control over individual spending decisions. If they decide to bail out the schools this time, taxpayers ought to receive assurances that this won't become a habit. More than one parent who coughed up more money after a youngster ran short of cash has fallen for a promise that there would not be a next time.

by CNB