Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 11, 1993                   TAG: 9306110151
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short

GROUP: GET RID OF FUNDING FORMULA

The Virginia Education Association accused the state of shortchanging local schools through a variety of administrative and accounting practices.

The state's formula is "a handy way to apportion what you want to spend and to ignore the reality of current school practices and the real needs of the classroom," education association President Rob Jones said.

Poorer school districts have tried to use the courts to force the state to change its funding plan, which allows richer districts to spend thousands more per pupil than the state's poorest districts.

The education association's report recommends replacing the current system of school funding with a three-tiered approach.

On the first level, every school district would receive enough money for a "high-quality basic program," the association said.

Schools that choose to exceed that basic level could get extra state money under the proposed formula's second tier. The third tier would be purely local funding approved by individual localities.

The report also said state teacher salaries and health benefits are behind the national average.