Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 3, 1992 TAG: 9203030267
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
School officials told county supervisors at a joint meeting that few projections can be made on the coming year's school budget because state legislative and educational representatives are not providing data on what the state's participation will be.
Superintendent William Asbury likened the process to building a budget in a fog and projecting what officials think the state might do.
The supervisors changed their March 23 date for budget recommendations from County Administrator Joseph Morgan to April 6 to allow more time for the school budget situation to become clear.
Asbury said his proposed budget, which has not been acted on by the School Board, calls for a 3 percent cost-of-living increase for all school personnel and a modification of the salary scale that was not spelled out in open session. The boards went into a closed session after their public meeting.
"Our teachers this past year worked more hours, put in more time, than they ever have and we've got documentation on that," Asbury said. He said he would not be doing his job if he did not seek what he felt the needs were, especially since Pulaski County teachers went without a raise last year.
So did state employees, but School Board member Ray Saltz said most of those probably make more money than teachers. He said Virginia is one of two states where teachers actually lost ground on pay last year.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jerry White said that apparently the state superintendent of public instruction, secretary of education, governor and General Assembly do not share Asbury's support of education, judging by their actions or lack of them.
"To this point, none of them have done anything to indicate that they agree with you," White said. "It really is a shame, what's going on in Richmond now. The folks up there have done everything but address the problems. . . . When one of them comes here and talks to me about being supportive of education, I'm going to question it because I don't believe him."
What is known is that Pulaski County will be working with less state money even if no cuts are made, because the number of students on which state funding is based has continued to drop. The county's population has remained about the same, but it is getting older.
"We've lost young people. We haven't necessarily lost people," Asbury said.
The county already is spending less per pupil than in past years, he said. Pulaski County ranks 113th out of 139 school divisions in the state on per-pupil expenditures, he said.
"We're operating about as efficiently as we can," he said. "We've taken what we had and gotten a lot of mileage out of it."
by CNB