Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 3, 1993 TAG: 9303030310
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
TEACHER RAISES AVERAGE 4.1%
The Roanoke School Board on Tuesday approved a $69.7 million budget for the next fiscal year that includes an average 4.1 percent teacher pay raise and a flat 2.5 percent raise for school administrative and non-professional staff.Two board members expressed their disappointment at not being able to provide more.
"I've tried to express to City Council members our needs, but I don't feel I've gotten through," said board Chairman Finn Pincus. "We talk about excellence in education and a world-class education, but funding sources are telling us they only want a mediocre education."
Board member Wendy O'Neil said she hoped that school employee pay raises would not waver from what the board "regrettably" was able to offer, once it got into the hands of city officials.
"I'd be even more disappointed if the salary proposal for [city workers] is above what we're able to do for our staff," she said. "We do need to go on record as strongly supporting fully funding our needs and not mince words about it."
The budget package will be forwarded to City Council.
Actual teacher raises range from a base 2 percent to 20.8 percent.
Of the school system's 950 teachers, 265 would get a flat 2 percent and 685 would get anywhere from 2.6 percent to 20.8 percent. Teachers receiving 20.8 percent raises - about 40 - would be those moving from mid-grade to senior-teacher status.
Other contributors to the broad range in increases were tier raises and $200 tacked onto the salary scales of teachers with more than 20 years or less than nine years of service. The $200 will be added this year and the next two years in an effort to bring salaries up to or near those of Roanoke County and Salem teachers.
Still, Dorothy Cooper, president of the Roanoke Education Association, said she was "disappointed."
"I believe some board members tried very hard, but we were asking for consideration of years gone by when we didn't get what we should have gotten," she said. "I challenge the School Board to please make teachers a priority - even establishing a five-year plan to get us back in sync with the rest of the localities."
Roanoke teachers received an across-the-board 3 percent raise for the current school year. Those teachers moving up the salary scale - about 20 percent of the teaching staff - received an average 4.4 percent raise.
Other budget highlights include:
Establishment of a retirement annuity for school bus drivers, who expressed concern at a budget hearing last month about their lack of retirement benefits. The budget would give bus drivers with 10-14 years of service a retirement annuity of $500; those with 15-19 years an annuity of $750; and those with more than 20 years, an annuity of $1,000.
Funding for four school nurse positions.
An increase in funding for special-education and alternative-education students.
The addition of three business and technical-education teaching positions for the high schools.
One priority set by the board in budget work sessions - money to help reduce primary-grade class size - was relegated to a priority list in the event additional funds become available.