Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 19, 1993 TAG: 9305190306
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
"I feel we are probably better equipped to do [payroll and accounting] than the county," School Board member Don Lacy told his fellow board members. He suggested the schools might save the county money by taking over the county's vehicle maintenance and custodial services, too.
Something similar already is happening in Albemarle County, Assistant Superintendent John Martin told the School Board.
The board asked Martin to compile a list of other school divisions in Virginia that have consolidated services with their local governments. The board plans to visit some of those divisions before it concludes its consolidation discussions with the Board of Supervisors.
In April, County Administrator Betty Thomas' staff recommended that the school system's and county's purchasing and accounting departments be merged to save money and give the supervisors better access to information on school finances.
Lacy agreed with Board Member Bob Goncz that consolidation is not a bad thing for the school system if it's done right. But he read off a list of nine questions he said he would want answered before he would agree to a consolidation.
He would oppose consolidation if a centralized purchasing department could block or slow any purchase authorized by school administrators, Lacy said. He would likewise vote against consolidation if the School Board lost its authority to move funds between line items in the same categories of the budget.
Lacy wanted to know what control the School Board would have over personnel in a consolidated purchasing and accounting department. If the schools represent 70 percent of the budget, they should have 70 percent of the say over such things as pay raises in the department, he suggested.
by CNB