Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 10, 1990 TAG: 9003102665
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Bowers charged that the School Board and school administrators are playing politics with the school budget by trying to force a confrontation with council on school funding.
"It is unfortunate that the superintendent and School Board are setting up another showdown with council," Bowers said in a letter on council's agenda for Monday.
School officials must adhere to budget restraints like other municipal departments, Bowers said. "We need a city government that is willing to live within its means."
An 11-cent increase in the tax rate would mean that the owner of a $60,000 house would be faced with a tax increase of $66 a year. The tax bill on a $60,000 house would increase from $750 to $816.
Earlier this week, the School Board adopted a balanced budget that is based on a $3.6 million increase in state and local revenues in the next year. This includes a projected increase of $2.5 million in local tax funds and about $1.1 million in additional state money.
But the board also approved what it described as a fully funded, supplemental budget that would require an additional $2.1 million in local tax money to help fund higher pay raises for teachers and additional programs designed to bring city schools into parity with Roanoke County schools.
Bowers said he plans to bring the board's request for additional local funds to council's attention during budget study next month, but he will reserve the right to raise questions about the request because he considers it to be "flagrantly political."
Board Vice Chairman Sallye Coleman denied that the board was playing politics.
"As a board, it is our responsibility by state mandate to report to council and the public the needs of the schools," Coleman said. "We approved a balanced budget, but that doesn't meet all of our needs and we have a duty to report our needs to the city."
Richard Kelley, executive for business affairs for the schools, said the balanced school budget is based on the revenue that it expects to receive from the city and state, but the schools have additional needs.
"If we don't make the request, we are criticized for not presenting the true needs of the school system," Kelley said.
The supplemental request is needed in part to fund full-day kindergarten, a seven-period school day, remedial teaching positions and other programs to bring city schools into parity with Roanoke County, he said.
Documents used in the consolidation talks showed that it would cost $3.7 million to bring all programs in city schools to the county's level. If these costs are spread over three years, Kelley said, the school system would need an additional $1.25 million each year just to cover them alone.
Based on the schools' needs and the goal of bringing the city into parity with the county, he said, the board's request for an additional $2.1 million is reasonable.
by CNB