Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 12, 1991 TAG: 9103120352
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: RINER LENGTH: Medium
A crowd of about 150 parents and students, most from the Riner community, gathered at Riner Elementary School to question and confront county school administrators about a plan approved in January to standardize the length of the school day countywide, separating primary- and secondary-school pupils on bus routes.
"We do have some situations where some kindergarten students are learning some very exciting things from the seniors," said Assistant Superintendent Larry Staples, who fielded most of the questions and pledged to carry public concerns back to the School Board.
Superintendent Harold Dodge was not at the meeting, which was called by the Riner Elementary PTA, the Auburn Middle/High School PTSA and the Bethel School PTA.
"Numbers will speak," declared Auburn Middle School/High School Parent-Teacher-Student Association president Donna Phipps, who urged upset parents to contact members of both boards and vent their displeasure.
After the meeting, she distributed the names, addresses and phone numbers of members of the Board of Supervisors and School Board, along with form letters for complaints.
An informal show of hands indicated solid opposition among those on hand.
"It's not broke, and it doesn't need to be fixed," one parent said of the current schedule, to loud applause.
Under the plan, the day for most county high school students would run from 7:40 a.m. to 2:10 p.m. Elementary students would attend from 8:45 a.m. to 3:05 p.m. At Christiansburg High and Middle schools, the day would go from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to accommodate vocational students from other schools.
Many Riner parents worried that the new schedule would mean older students in the largely agricultural area would have to wait in the dark for buses during winter and would not be available to watch out for younger students, who would leave later.
"[Working parents] depend on the older kids to help the younger kids get ready," New River District PTA Director Glenda Thomas said before the meeting.
Staples countered that some kindergartners are catching buses in the dark at 7 a.m. under the current schedule.
Although the schedule change was not initiated to save money, Staples said that the plan showed $80,000 in net savings, much of that through the use of fewer buses and the elimination of a dozen bus drivers' jobs. He said the plan has been incorporated into the school budget, but pointed out the School Board plans to "revisit" the issue at its April 2 meeting.
"We're looking at all kinds of alternatives," he said.
Throughout the session, parents pointed to Riner's distinctive nature as a close-knit community where many youngsters also help out on family farms before school.
"I don't think we should boil it down into a town-country issue," Staples admonished. But many speakers ignored the suggestion.
"This is a rural community almost entirely," said another resident. "It goes beyond convenience. This community cannot be treated like every other community."
One man questioned what he called "the alleged savings." Larry Schoff, director of facility maintenance and transportation, invited the speaker to review the figures and see for himself. "I'll call your bluff," Schoff said.
With School Board member James Hassall on active military duty in the Mideast, opponents have but one remaining declared champion the panel, Mike Sowder.
"From the start, I've been dead set against this," Sowder said, although he was not optimistic about stopping the plan. "You still have about three weeks." he told the crowd. "Come to the [April 2] meeting, show up in force."
by CNB