Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, December 15, 1993 TAG: 9312150245
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LAURA WILLIAMSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"What we're attempting to do is practice what we've been preaching," said Harris, who made clear even before he took over as superintendent July 1 that he believed strongly in site-based management for schools.
Roanoke schools had been moving slowly in recent years toward site-based control, which allows committees of school faculty, parents and community members to make decisions previously left to the school system's central office staff.
Harris wanted to give even greater control to each school, he told about a dozen city residents and staff members at Monterey Elementary School on Tuesday during a public meeting on his proposed 1994-95 school budget. So he gave principals "a substantial increase" in the amount of money they could spend without approval from him or his staff.
The $72.3 million budget Harris recently presented to the Roanoke School Board shifts an additional $650,000 to schools that had previously been controlled by central administrators, Harris told those at the first of four town meetings scheduled to discuss the budget.
Central office administrators will continue to advise principals on how to spend the money if they need help, Harris said, because along with the additional freedom principals will also take on greater responsibility.
"Ultimately they will be held accountable to the superintendent," he said.
Under the new system, principals and their site-based councils will have the power to decide which textbooks to purchase (as long as they meet state guidelines) as well as how they want to spend money for library materials, teacher training, classroom furniture, computer supplies and other equipment, Assistant Superintendent for Operations Dick Kelley said.
Those who attended the meeting spoke in support of the proposed budget.
Donald Starkweather, president of the Roanoke Valley Chess Club, and Roanoke schools chess coordinator Chris Bush spoke highly of the student chess program and encouraged the school system to not only continue its funding but to expand it.
The chess program - which serves 1,800 schoolchildren - had been funded through an annual $30,000 donation from recently deceased benefactor Marion Via. The proposed budget includes $30,000 to keep the program at its current level.
Amanda Thomas also approved of the budget but did not stand to speak. A special education teacher at Monterey, she said later that she was pleased to see an additional $217,000 in the budget to comply with state mandates for more special education teachers and aides.
One group that isn't ready to voice an opinion is the Roanoke Education Association.
Executive Vice President Gary Stultz came to Tuesday's meeting but said the teachers' organization is still studying the budget, which includes nearly $2 million in pay raises.
Harris has proposed a three-year plan that would increase starting pay for teachers $1,000 each year, bringing it to $24,700 next year and more in line with salaries in the surrounding area. Teachers would receive an average raise of 4 percent next year under the plan.
by CNB