Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 15, 1992 TAG: 9201150287
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
SCHOOL DISPARITY TACKLED
A plan to ease funding disparities among Virginia school districts would cost up to $212 million over the next two years, Education Secretary James Dyke told legislators Tuesday.But Dyke offered no suggestions for funding the program during a presentation to a legislative commission studying school disparity.
"The No. 1 target ought to be to figure out what the program ought to be and let the money follow that," Dyke said. "The program ought to be the driving force in whatever we recommend."
Dyke said the state will have to provide more money but he also called on localities "to shoulder their fair share" of school funding.
"The localities as well are going to have to step up to the plate on this issue," he said.
Some wealthy school districts have complained that poor areas prefer to rely on state funding rather than raise local taxes.
The commission made no decisions about what school disparity legislation to seek in the 60-day General Assembly session that started last week.
Legislators already face the task of closing a $567 million shortfall in the 1992-94 state budget. In four days of public hearings, they heard repeated calls for higher taxes instead of deeper cuts in state services.
Gov. Douglas Wilder last week presented a plan to raise state standards for all schools and to provide extra funding for poor school districts to buy computers and other supplies.
Meanwhile, a state official told lawmakers he is confident Eastern State Hospital's accreditation will be restored, but he warned that other state mental-health facilities could lose accreditation because of staffing shortages.
King Davis, commissioner of the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, made the comment to the House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee.
Del. David Brickley, D-Prince William and chairman of the panel, said that if any facilities appear on the verge of losing accreditation, Davis should "make sure this committee is overwhelmed with information" about the problem so nobody can complain about not being warned.
Eastern State in Williamsburg lost its accreditation last month after being plagued by reports of mismanagement. The state has appealed.
Del. Shirley Cooper, D-Yorktown, complained about Wilder's plan to shut down an adolescent care unit at Eastern State.
"Over the last four years, we have lived with a reduction of $44 million," Davis said. "There are no choices left that will not cause pain for someone."
Senate and House of Delegates floor sessions were brief and some committee meetings were canceled as legislators concentrated on getting their bills filed by the Jan. 21 deadline.
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.