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

DATE: FRIDAY, March 11, 1994                   TAG: 9403110164
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

COUNTY SCHOOLS BUDGET RAISES FOR TEACHERS

Superintendent Bayes Wilson said Thursday night that he will give top priority to pay raises in the new budget.

"It is essential that we keep our salaries competitive with surrounding localities," Wilson told the School Board.

But he said the school system is facing a financial squeeze that could require the board to make some hard choices for the next year.

The preliminary budget is up $3.3 million over the current year. There is another $764,353 in maintenance and equipment needs.

But school officials project an increase of $2.7 million in revenue.

"There is not going to be enough to meet all of our needs," Wilson said. "The money is not going to be there."

Jerry Hardy, director of finances and special services, said that a 1 percent pay raise for teachers would cost about $400,000. A 3 percent raise would cost $1.2 million.

In addition to 3 percent raises, Hardy said the salary budget committee has recommended an adjustment in the pay scale so that teachers in the middle of the scale would a get larger raises.

He said the county ranks 30th in the state in beginning pay for teachers and 21st for teachers with 20 years experience.

But the county ranks 53rd for teachers with 10 years experience. Hardy said the salary scale would be modified to provide them with a bigger raise.

The total salary package for the teachers would cost $1.6 million, Hardy said.

The county also needs to hire 10 more teachers in the next year, including five special-education teachers, Hardy said.

Allyn Mitchell, a Roanoke County Education Association member who served on the salary committee, urged the board to approve the recommended pay raises.

"There are a lot of inequities in the salary scale, but this will be one step toward eliminating them," Mitchell said. County teachers have not received adequate raises in recent years, she said.

On the revenue side of the budget, the schools expect to receive an increase of $2.5 million in local funds from the county and $421,637 in additional state aid.

But Hardy told the board that the increase in state aid might change before the General Assembly adjourns this weekend.

"We won't know until Monday or Tuesday what the figure on state funds will be," he said.

The board, which saw the proposed budget for the first time Thursday night, will have work sessions on it before taking action.

Salaries and fringe benefits for teachers and other school employees account for 89 percent of the budget. The proposed raises for all employees and the additional teachers would cost $2.9 million. Other maintenance and operating expenses would increase by more than $400,000.