Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 12, 1992 TAG: 9203120286
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
"There are some schools in Virginia that I would not want to send my children to," said Robley Jones, president of the teachers' organization.
Jones, who has visited schools around the state since becoming VEA president in August, said, "I had not imagined that children would have to go to school in these conditions."
The study said figures from the 1989-90 fiscal year showed "staggering and unacceptable" differences among Virginia school divisions in numerous categories.
Arlington County spends the most per pupil, $8,371, and Page County is at the bottom, spending $3,700 per pupil each year.
"We try to do the best with what we have. We try to make it go as far as it can," said Thomas Rosazza, assistant superintendent of the 3,400-student Page school system. "Our board has been concerned about disparities and wanting to get as much as they can."
Fairfax leads the way in teachers' salaries, paying an average $40,133 per year. Highland County was at the bottom with a $20,884 average salary.
Jones praised the General Assembly's decision last week to spend about $80 million more over the next two years on resolving school disparities. Noting that a commission which studied disparity estimated the cost of resolving the problem at nearly $1 billion, he called the added money "a small step in the right direction."
The largest portion of the additional money will go to Norfolk, which will get $7.4 million. Richmond will receive $4.3 million; Portsmouth, $4.2 million; and Newport News, $3.4 million.
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.