Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 13, 1992 TAG: 9203130412
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MONICA DAVEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BEDFORD LENGTH: Medium
"What are we telling teachers?" president Linda Markham, a Bedford teacher, asked the board. "And what are we telling our children? That the value of a teacher is going down?
"With this scale, what is my incentive to stay in Bedford County? . . . Are teachers that expendable?"
Markham called on the School Board to reconsider its proposal to give teacher raises next year that would average about 1 percent.
Several months ago, the Bedford County Education Association had suggested salary increases of 7 percent.
"You said you had to present a budget to the governing body that would be realistic to our educational needs," Markham said at Thursday night's public hearing on the proposal.
"Is that what this does? I hope this is not a fait accompli. I implore you to re-evaluate the salary scale."
Markham got a blast of applause from teachers who crowded into the School Board's meeting room. She and one Bedford County student's mother were the only two to speak at the public hearing.
It was not clear what effect, if any, Markham's plea will have on the budget that School Board members are to complete March 26.
After the meeting, School Board Chairman Lorenza Davis said his board would "take under advisement" Markham's remarks and stressed that the board supports the county's teachers.
But he also said that Superintendent John Kent's proposed $36.5 million budget represents economic reality.
"I support the budget as presented, and that as well has been expressed by other board members," Davis said.
The Bedford County Board of Supervisors has been uncharacteristically silent so far this budget season about the school system's request.
Most years, the supervisors consider the schools' spending request, among others, as a place to look for spending cuts. At a budget work session this week, however, the supervisors did not even mention the school budget.
That's not too surprising, considering that the school system is asking for fewer tax dollars from Bedford County sources next year than it received this year.
Overall, the schools want to spend 2 percent more than they did this year. But the extra money would come from state and federal sources.
Davis predicted Thursday that the supervisors would leave the schools' request alone. "We've presented a good budget and I don't see how they can cut anything else out of it," he said.
As it stands, the supervisors have proposed a $56.4 million budget. It would balance - with no increase on the real estate tax rate and no spending cuts - if the supervisors choose to impose a tax on electric bills.
As for the 1992-93 school budget, Kent has laid out its major spending categories and some new purchases:
$25,448,882 for instruction, up slightly from $25,427,502 this year. New initiative: enhancement of computer technology in the county's three high schools.
$889,587 for administration, attendance and health, about $10,000 less than was spent in that category this year.
$2,200,967 for transportation, an increase of about 4 percent over this year's spending. New initiatives: two new bus routes, in Boonsboro and Moneta.
$2,699,385 for operation and maintenance, a 4 percent decrease from this year.
$1,958,453 for food services, down from $2.1 million.
$427,184 for facilities, up from $243,077. New initiative: architectural and engineering design work for Forest Middle School.
$2,968,648 in debt service, up from this year's $2.2 million.
by CNB