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

DATE: SUNDAY, March 3, 1991                   TAG: 9103030226
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                LENGTH: Short

MONTGOMERY SCHOOLS SKIRT ADDITIONAL CUTS

But county officials may have to raise the real estate tax by as much as 5 cents to balance the $58 million total budget for 1991-92.

The Board of Supervisors had questioned whether another $500,000 might be cut from the school budget. But at a meeting between the supervisors and the School Board Saturday, Superintendent Harold Dodge and School Board members apparently fended off further cuts.

The school budget is $427,698 less than the current year's budget and roughly $3 million less than what school officials said they really need in the coming year. Although the supervisors apparently will not pare the school budget any further, they will not be allowing the schools any bonus money from the state.

After the workshop, the supervisors were set to put the final touches on the new budget. They plan to meet Wednesday night to do that and set a tax rate to fund it.

The supervisors must act on the budget Wednesday if they are to make the advertisement deadline for a county budget hearing 7 p.m. March 21 at Christiansburg High School.