Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 7, 1991 TAG: 9103070368
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By KATHY LOAN NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
John McPhail, School Board chairman, told City Council on Wednesday that refunds from the state retirement system and additional state money because of increased enrollment means Radford schools will receive $190,502 more than was anticipated when the school budget was submitted last month.
The increase in enrollment has been boosted by lowered tuition for out-of-city pupils. Last spring, the board lowered the tuition fee from $200 to $100 to attract additional pupils and help compensate for flagging enrollment figures.
As of January, 121 children who do not reside in Radford had been accepted into the school system. Also in January, the state revised the city's adjusted enrollment estimate from 1,382 to 1,467.
The proposed city budget, released Monday, showed expenditure requests of $34,983,319, while revenues were estimated at just below $34.58 million. The deficit was created by $407,373 requested by the School Board for additional local funds to offset expected losses from the state and for other projects.
The School Board's revised $7.2 million request calls for a local share of $3,628,373 instead of an earlier estimate of just over $3.8 million. The local share would include a 3.5 percent salary increase for employees - costing the city $172,424 - and money for a part-time speech therapist and an additional elementary special education class period.
The increase in state money reduces the difference between local funding in the new budget and the current budget to $230,929. But, if City Council also reappropriated $140,401 to the School Board in unspent local funds from its 1989-90 fiscal year, the local increase needed for next year's budget would drop to $90,528, McPhail said.
No decision was made on the school budget during the work session, but Mayor Tom Starnes said he favored returning at least some of the surplus to take care of needed capital improvement projects.
Starnes said resurfacing the high school track and reroofing the high school auditorium were high priorities.
"I agree. We must maintain existing facilities," said Councilman Bob Nicholson.
The council meets at 7 tonight at the Municipal Building to continue reviewing budget requests. Departments on the agenda include the constitutional officers and the court system.
by CNB