Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 17, 1990 TAG: 9003162512
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALELY
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
"It will require a lot of manipulation of funds, but it might could be worked out," said Superintendent James Burns. Parents have appealed to Burns and School Board members to keep the computers.
Some supporters at a recent School Board meeting even backed up the comments with cash collected from those wanting the system to stay.
Riverlawn's computers were installed at the school in a trial this past fall, and the school's 340 pupils keep the computer lab busy 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Pupils generally work at the machines 30 minutes at a time, selecting from among nearly 40 learning exercises that let youngsters work at their own pace.
"I'm really concerned about the test scores in our county," said Riverlawn parent Martha Hylton, who reported she'd seen children who normally score 60 to 70 percent on classroom tests improve their performance to 80 to 90 percent after working with the educational computer.
"The computer really holds their attention," she said.
The School Board also got a 6-inch-high stack of surveys from Riverlawn parents who supported keeping the computers at the Fairlawn school.
"We have seen progress with all students," said Riverlawn teacher Joyce Whitmer.
"We would like to keep them," said fifth-grader Deborah Wyrick. "I learn things I never knew. I really enjoy the computers.`
Despite his silence, kindergartner Nathan Zimmerman may have been the most eloquent of all as he firmly pressed an envelope stuffed with bills into School Board Chairwoman Irene Kegley's hand.
Acknowledging that he had discouraged the Riverlawn computer purchase and had said he didn't think it could be done this year, Burns told the computer supporters that a combination of unspent funds in this year's budget and unanticipated income in next year's might make the purchase possible after all.
by CNB