DATE: Wednesday, March 5, 1997              TAG: 9703050435

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B7   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ALETA PAYNE, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   58 lines

STATE BUDGET COULD GIVE BEACH $2.18 MILLION MORE FOR SCHOOLS ADMINISTRATOR SAYS $1.5 MILLION HINGES ON DISTRICT GRANTING RAISES OF 4 PERCENT.

The school district could get $2.18 million more from the state than expected for next year if Gov. George F. Allen signs the budget sent to him by the General Assembly.

However, the district also stands to get slightly less money in some categories and must use the bulk of the new money in specific ways.

During a special work session on the budget Tuesday, Associate Superintendent Donald Peccia said the proposed state budget includes more than $1.5 million for a salary supplement that the school system can collect if it gives employees the equivalent of a 4 percent raise in 1997-98.

Also available is an additional $684,778 to reduce class sizes in kindergarten through third grade at some schools that serve a significant percentage of needy students. Although that money requires that the district also contribute to the effort, Peccia said it is possible that the schools could absorb the cost within the 1997-98 budget.

Peccia's comments came as board members met to discuss Superintendent Timothy R. Jenney's proposed $418.8 million budget for the upcoming year. The administration has described that budget as flat, containing no money for new or expanded programs.

Since that document was first presented to the board, the City Council has approved a resolution that would give the schools $12.3 million less in local money than the Jenney's proposal was based on.

The board must now decide whether to reduce the budget in accordance with the city figure, to keep it as is or add to it. Either of the last two options would require pursuing a tax increase, under the city's resolution.

As proposed by Jenney, the budget included a salary increase of 4 percent for most employees but did not include money to expand a program to reduce class sizes in kindergarten through third grade.

Board members spent much of the workshop asking questions about changes in spending, particularly areas where they saw an increase.

In most cases, they were told those figures represented an expected increase in enrollment, the opening of two new schools scheduled for fall or the realignment of budget units.

Few dollars were left unturned, however, as board members questioned items from the cost of a copier to an additional administrative position.

While he acknowledged that the board had approved pursuing such efforts under the district's long-range plan, board member Paul Lanteigne expressed concerns over the position.

``Is that dollar value worth the policy decision we made?'' he asked.

Other board members asked administrators if their departments had needs that were not met in the budget because the district could not afford them. All said yes.

``Does this budget reflect the needs of the system?'' board member Tim Jackson asked.

``In my opinion, no,'' Peccia responded.

The board had gone through only a fraction of the budget by the time the workshop ended, so board members agreed to continue the discussion after Thursday's public hearing on the budget at Larkspur Middle School at 6:30 p.m.

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