Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 28, 1994 TAG: 9403280033
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Not by their own choosing, mind you, but it's still just as real.
The General Assembly, in part, is responsible for the change because of its decision to provide more state aid to help reduce the spending gap between poor and rich school divisions.
Usually, it's the Roanoke School Board that is short on money.
In recent years, the board has frequently appealed to City Council for more funds for teacher pay raises and other school expenses.
On the other hand, the county School Board customarily has little trouble finding the money for increases in the school budget.
In recent years, the county has received substantial boosts in state aid for schools. Economic growth in the county also has helped provide more local funds for schools.
But this year, the city is flush with school funds and the county is hurting.
The city School Board has approved a $73.4 million school budget that provides 4.6 percent pay raises for teachers and covers increases in other categories in the next year.
The county School Board's proposed $72.6 million budget is out of balance by $1.6 million. The board will ask county supervisors for the money, in addition to the $2.5 million increase that county officials have agreed to provide.
The county budget provides 3 percent pay raises for teachers and other school employees.
Frank Thomas, chairman of the county board, calls it a "reversal of roles" for the city and county.
The city will receive $3.1 million in additional state funds for schools in the next year. This includes $1.1 million in disparity funds, plus another $800,000 for school programs for at-risk children.
The city board will receive an additional $915,500 in local funds in the next year.
By comparison, the county will receive $1 million in additional state funds for all categories in the next school year. It will get $145,000 in disparity funds.
Because the increase in state funds for the county is so small, Thomas said, the board will ask supervisors for more local money.
"It's almost a complete flip-flop in state and local funds between the city and county," Thomas said.
The board hopes to get $4.1 million from the county - the $2.5 million already promised, plus the additional $1.6 million.
"If we weren't getting the $2.5 million from the county, we would be in a real hole," Thomas said.
Supervisor Harry Nickens held out little hope that the supervisors could provide the additional $1.6 million.
"We have shared our new revenue with the schools on a 50-50 basis in the past few years. We expect to have $5 million in the next year and the schools would get half of that," Nickens said.
"There is no way we can provide an additional $1.6 million," he said. "It's a little disconcerting for us to be cast in the role of having to say no."
Nickens said he hopes the School Board develops a plan for reducing its budget to fit within the projected revenues without eliminating the proposed raises for teachers.
Supervisor Bob Johnson said the county might be hard-pressed to provide the funds sought by the School Board, but the request should not be summarily rejected.
"We have to look at the schools' needs," Johnson said, adding that it might be time to provide more funds for the schools.
In recent years, the county has spent money on other projects such as a reservoir, landfill, airport terminal and the creation of a Police Department, he said.
School Board members are "not an exorbitant bunch and we will have to look at what they are requesting," Johnson said.
It appears that the supervisors might be cast as the bad guys, Johnson said, even though they already have agreed to provide at least $2.5 million more for county schools next year.
By comparison, Roanoke City Council apparently will provide an increase of $915,500 in local funds for city schools.
Supervisor Ed Kohinke said he would tend to be supportive of the board's request, but he wants to wait until County Administrator Elmer Hodge makes a recommendation.
The county will receive only a small amount of disparity funds because it has only one school where more than 25 percent of the students receive free or reduced-price lunches.
By contrast, at least 25 percent of the students in 20 of the city's 21 elementary schools qualify for the subsidized meals.
The higher the percentage of children receiving subsidized meals, the more money a school system receives under the disparity plan. Free lunches are considered to be an index of poverty and the number of at-risk children.
The plan provides state funds to hire more teachers so classes will be smaller for children in kindergarten through third grade.
County school officials are disappointed that the disparity plan provides such a small amount of funds for the county.
"You talk about disparities," said Jerry Hardy, director of budget and data management for the school system, noting the increase in state funds for the city is three times greater than the county.
Several board members said they felt an obligation to present the schools' needs to the supervisors, even if they don't get all of the money they are requesting.
Jerry Canada, a board member, said, "$2.5 million is nothing to sneeze at, but it is not all of what we need. We need to present a budget that shows what our needs are."
Maurice "Buck" Mitchell, vice chairman of the board, said the schools deserve a larger percentage of the county's tax revenues.
"I feel that parents are concerned about the quality of schools and they don't want them to go down," he said.
by CNB