Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 20, 1990 TAG: 9003202657
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MADELYN ROSENBERG NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
The $22 million budget shows an overall increase of 3.02 percent and an increase in local dollars of 4.7 percent.
"We tried to make every reduction in operating cost that we could," Burns said.
One reduction cuts 20 teaching positions at Pulaski County High School to meet enrollment losses.
Burns said the raise for teachers and comparable raises for all employees will cost about $870,000. A cut in "minimum gain" funding will reduce revenues by about $738,000, he said.
Another large item involves funding for a new magnet school, $127,000 from the state and $125,000 from participating districts.
Other budget items include a half-time position for a social worker and funding for a therapist to work with the more than 50 emotionally disturbed students at Pulaski County High School.
The School Board approved the budget earlier this month.
At Monday night's meeting, most of the supervisors' questions centered on an item not included in the budget proposal: funding for computers.
The School Board will be taking money from its 1989-90 budget to help cover costs of buying 64 computer terminals for a math lab at the high school and another 64 terminals for the English department. Other funds probably will be used to pay for 32 terminals at Riverlawn Elementary School, but the budget for next year allots no money for the project.
"It bothers me to see this program go into some schools and not in others," said Supervisor Bruce Fariss. "As I look at it, if Pulaski County progresses, it has to be in several areas. One is the educational level. If we want to attain a higher level of jobs, then we have to increase the ability level of our work force."
The computer systems are used not only by students, but by adults working to get equivalency diplomas, Fariss said.
"This is one way to enhance the level of the adults and the kids. We don't have a lot of money to play with in the budget, but I'd like to see us go out on a limb and at least get a system into each school. We may not get every terminal we want to have, but it would be a start."
Burns said he didn't include the item in the budget because he didn't think the board would be comfortable with a commitment for two years' worth of funding.
He estimated that the program would cost about $1.5 million to be spread out, if possible, over the next few years. Some of the funding could be repaid if the board had extra money left over when the budget year ended.
"If you all wanted to put it in there, our staff would jump at the chance," Burns said.
by CNB