Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 27, 1990 TAG: 9003272532
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: MARGARET CAMLIN NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Fairfax, Loudoun and Rappahannock counties were among the wealthier school districts represented at the meeting, held at the Airport Marriott Hotel.
"I think you're addressing the most important issue in education in the United States," said Kern Alexander, a school finance expert and professor at Virginia Tech, to about 125 superintendents and members of school boards, boards of supervisors and city councils.
Alexander acted as a key consultant in the Kentucky Supreme Court decision last June that declared the state's entire educational system unconstitutional.
"The quality of a child's education in Virginia is largely determined by the fiscal ability of the locality," Alexander said. This is unjustifiable on moral and constitutional grounds, he said.
Sooner or later the Virginia Supreme Court must define more clearly the state's responsibility for education spending, he said.
"You don't know and I don't know and the legislature of Virginia does not know" what the state constitution means in how public schools should be funded, he said.
"I think we're kidding ourselves if we believe there won't be a court case in Virginia," he said after the meeting.
Some school superintendents - including Pulaski's James Burns and Radford's Michael Wright - have said they believe legal action may be the only solution. "There's not much doubt that the plaintiffs would win this case," Alexander said.
But others, including Newport News Superintendent Donald Bruno, urged a more cautious approach. "We have an opportunity . . . to make some moves and maybe get an adjustment to the formula quicker than results from a lawsuit that might go on for years," Bruno said.
Despite state efforts to reduce disparity in recent years, the spending gap between Virginia's richest and poorest school districts continues to widen.
Alexandria, for instance, spent $7,117 to educate each child in 1987-88, while Pulaski County spent $3,302 the same year. Local money paid for 75 percent of Alexandria's school budget that year, while local money took care of only 26 percent of Pulaski's school budget.
Even though the education funding formula was revised two years ago to ensure greater equity, the gap between the top and bottom has widened to more than $4,100.
Wythe County Superintendent Robert McCoy said it's critical for school board members and local politicians to unite and pressure state leaders together, rather than battle with one another.
"Quite often the fight ends up at the local level over things that we have no control over because of [state] mandates," McCoy said."If we try to do something for the good of all, we can get something accomplished."
Gov. Douglas Wilder appointed a Commission on Equal Educational Opportunity last month to study the funding gap between the state's richer and poorer schools. Its report is due next February.
But this is not early enough for some superintendents. Mark Pace, superintendent of Alleghany Highlands and the coalition's interim chairman, said the coalition will press for an earlier report so that the 1991 General Assembly can take action.
But there is no guarantee that the General Assembly will accept what the commission has to say, even if it is favorable to the plight of poorer districts, he said. "We applaud the governor for recognizing the problem," Pace said. "However, some of us who are frustrated as we wrestle with the problem every day believe we should do more than just be passive partners."
Pace emphasized that Virginia's poorer school districts don't want to take away from the wealthier ones.
`We're not interested in redistributing the pie [state funds], in going after state money that goes to wealthier localities," Pace said.
Instead, he and others want a "leveling up" of the minimum funding level, so that poorer school districts receive more state money.
Pace added there should be no limit to the money raised locally to pay for education. "Local effort is and should remain important," he said.
Loudoun County Superintendent David Thomas - formerly a superintendent in California - warned that a court decision in California over a decade ago led to a complete loss of local control over schools and a "leveling down" in overall spending for education.
It's extremely important that coalition members stick together - whether they be from rural or urban districts, from one end of the state to the other, he said. `You don't want to let go of the idea of leveling up," he said. "You don't want to let go of local control."
Everyone was invited to join the coalition for equity in educational funding, but no commitments were sought Monday.
Leaders from both rural and urban school districts were at the meeting, along with state Department of Education Deputy Superintendent E.B. Howerton and Associate Superintendent Myron Cale.
Cale and Howerton left quickly after the meeting and could not be reached later for comments.
Roanoke Superintendent Frank Tota said he does not know if he will join the coalition. "We'll study it," he said after the meeting. Roanoke County Superintendent Bayes Wilson also said he will evaluate whether to join. Loudoun County School Board member Carroll Laycock said his school system is struggling to pay for mandated programs and salary increases - even though it is considered one of the state's wealthiest.
"Just because your property values have increased doesn't mean you have the ability to pay," Laycock said after the meeting. The money isn't liquid - values are rising faster than the property is bought and sold, he said.
by CNB