Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 13, 1992 TAG: 9203130378
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
As enrollments decrease, Superintendent William Asbury said, "We've got to look at down-sizing our operations, not just in terms of staff but in terms of plant."
Jefferson, built in the 1920s, is the county's oldest school building. Asbury estimated that it would take more than $2 million to make it adequate.
"The building has simply worn out. It's done its job," he said. "We've got to put money into it, a lot of money, or we've got to get out of it."
But he emphasized that the proposal is not just a question of money. Pupils attending Jefferson would be reassigned into new attendance zones for Northwood, Claremont and Critzer Elementary schools, all of which would house kindergarten through grade five.
Teachers at Jefferson, who heard the proposal after school Thursday, would be reassigned to the other schools.
The board also heard an outline from Pulaski County High School Principal Thomas DeBolt on raising graduation requirements.
Requirements now are 21 credits, or 22 for the advanced studies diploma. The new requirements would be 24 credits, and 25 for advanced studies.
The board seemed ready to approve the changes, starting with the rising junior class, but member Ray Saltz successfully pushed for a delay until parents could hear more about it.
About 5,000 copies of the proposed new requirements are to be mailed today to parents whose children would be affected.
DeBolt said that perhaps half the students are undereducated, in that they avoid many of the programs offered by the school. As many as 500 of the almost 1,700 students at the school are able to leave one or two periods early each day because of light course loads, he said.
Asbury said that there is no reason to consider extending the school year, as some educators suggest, until the current school day is being fully used.
The new requirements would offer more without adding to the staff or programs by actually forcing a better education, DeBolt said, "if you want to use that word. . . . What we're proposing is moving more students through those programs than we have been."
Changes would include requiring three years of math and science, instead of two. An additional six-week career education program is planned, perhaps dovetailing with driver education. Students also would have to achieve certain academic, attendance and behavior standards before being able to take on-the-road driver training.
"We would see, I think, a magnificent difference in two years," DeBolt said. "The other schools in the state haven't taken this step, but they soon will."
by CNB