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

DATE: SATURDAY, April 7, 1990                   TAG: 9004070130
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

FORMER SCHOOLS CHIEF STUART BEVILLE DIES

Beville was superintendent of Prince William County schools from 1954 to 1972 when he joined the faculty of Virginia Tech. He was an associate professor in the College of Education until he retired in 1978.

Beville served as an interim superintendent in Montgomery County from August 1987 until January 1988. During that time, the School Board trying to replace James Moye, the superintendent for 2 1/2 years. The board demoted him, then bought out his contract after Moye sued the board.

Beville headed the school system until Superintendent Harold Dodge's arrival in January 1988.

In an interview after he was named interim superintendent, Beville said communication is the key to running a good school system.

"All of us - school people, including the superintendent - have a responsibility to communicate with the public," he said. "Unfortunately, some school administrators have tended to get away from that and have the feeling that if our public has a problem they should come to us," he said. "By interpretation that means we don't have very much responsibility to go to them. With that concept, I don't agree. I think we do have a responsibility to go to them."

He helped the Montgomery County School Board search for a new superintendent in 1983 when it chose Virgil Poore as a successor to Arnold Saari. Moye succeeded Poore.

During Beville's 18 years as superintendent in Prince William County school enrollment swelled from about 4,000 to 35,000 students.

Beville, who earned bachelor's and master's degrees in history and political science from Duke University, also was principal of elementary and high schools in Virginia.