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

DATE: SATURDAY, March 9, 1991                   TAG: 9103090114
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: RADFORD                                LENGTH: Medium

RADFORD ACTION TO COME LATER ON STATE SCHOOL REPORT

Though it's been a leader in the statewide battle for school-funding equity, a short-handed Radford School Board has put off discussion of a preliminary report of the Governor's Commission on Educational Opportunity for all Virginians.

"We understand this will be followed up with a March report that will be more complete in detail, and we'll probably want to discuss this in greater depth. . . ." Superintendent Michael Wright said.

Among the missing at Thursday's brief session was board member Chip Craig, a lawyer who has been outspoken in favor of legal action to resolve educational funding disparities between affluent and poor school districts. Also absent was Board Chairman John McPhail.

Radford was among the first of the state's smaller districts to join the Coalition for Equity in Educational Funding, a consortium of mostly rural Virginia school districts.

The coalition was formed last year to fight the shift of school funding from the state to localities. A third of Virginia's 133 school divisions are members.

Wright called attention to remarks by Del. Ford Quillen, D-Gate City, who objected to "certain portions of the report encouraging funding practices which I believe are unconstitutional."

Quillen objected to recommendations to continue state salary supplements for teachers and for caps on the composite index, which is used to determine local ability to support schools. "These two items that he mentions here were two of the major concerns of many of us who are involved in financing school districts in Southwest Virginia," Wright said.

The report said per-pupil expenditures vary across the state from $3,300 to $7,800 - a difference of $4,500. (In many cases, systems spending the least per pupil receive more state money per pupil than wealthier systems, which spend more local money per pupil than do poorer systems).

Wright said he thinks the coalition will want to respond to the full report after it's received.

"And I hope that we will discuss it more here," board member George Ducker said. "I'd like to see us spend some time on it."

In other action, the board approved a proposal from New River Health District Director Margaret Robinson to permit school buses to take students to dental screening clinics. Eligible Radford students would be bused to a clinic at Riverlawn Elementary in Fairlawn.

In a letter outlining her request, Robinson said about 15 percent of the youngsters screened require further dental treatment.

Wright also told the board about new Blue Cross/Blue Shield rates for school employees. The rates, 19.1 percent higher that current rates, are effective July 1. A single employee's monthly premium would rise to $148 from $124. Family coverage would rise to $414 from $347.

by CNB