
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, April 1, 1990                   TAG: 9004010206
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

TEACHERS OPPOSE CLOSINGS

Delegates to the Virginia Education Association's annual convention, held this year in Roanoke, went on record as opposing legislation that would force the closing or consolidation of any schools solely on the basis of the size of the student body.

The budget submitted by former Gov. Gerald Baliles to this past winter's General Assembly would have put on notice districts with schools deemed to be inefficient because of their size: less than 200 pupils in elementary schools, 300 in middle schools and 400 in high schools.

Under Baliles's proposal, those schools - 125 around the state - would have lost state support unless they presented a plan to improve efficiency. Most lawmakers believed that meant closing rural schools.

The proposal was removed from the budget as a result of a deal Del. Tom Jackson, D-Hillsville, engineered to get the support of Northern Virginia legislators. Jackson agreed to yank a controversial zoning bill he had introduced in return for their support.

The education association's resolution opposes laws that would force closing or consolidation when "only" average daily school membership is taken into account.

The 1,500 VEA delegates wrapped up their Roanoke convention Saturday by accepting, rejecting or referring to committee a long list of new items of business. It was a convention that saw Gov. Douglas Wilder renewing his commitment to bringing teacher pay in Virginia to above the national average.

Although the VEA was previously on record as supporting collective bargaining for school employees, the teacher delegates rejected by a standing vote Saturday a proposal to establish a fund to be used to secure a collective-bargaining law.

Opposition appeared based in part on concerns about going outside the association's normal budget to set up the fund.

The delegates also approved a proposal that would direct the association to work with the appropriate state agencies to see that Virginia's child labor laws are enforced and to study whether legislation is needed to strengthen the laws.

by CNB