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

DATE: SATURDAY, April 9, 1994                   TAG: 9404090049
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SALEM TEACHERS TO STAY NO. 1 ON SALARY CHART

The School Board has approved a $20.2 million budget recommended by Superintendent Wayne Tripp.

The school system will increase its annual contribution for health insurance for teachers and other school employees by $300.

The combination of the pay raise and higher health-insurance contribution would be the equivalent of almost a 4 percent boost for teachers and other professionals.

Bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians and other non-degree employees - who have received smaller raises in recent years - will receive 5 percent pay raises.

The price of lunches will increase from $1.10 to $1.15 for elementary pupils and from $1.20 to $1.25 at the middle school and high school.

The higher prices are needed to cover the higher costs of food, salaries for cafeteria workers and other expenses.

The 3.5 percent raise for Salem teachers means their salaries will remain above those in Roanoke and Roanoke County.

Roanoke has approved 4.6 percent raises for teachers, and Roanoke County is considering 3 percent increases, but neither system will surpass Salem's salaries.

Fifty-three percent of the budget, $10.6 million, will come from local tax funds, and the state will provide 35 percent, $7.1 million. The remainder will come from the federal government, state sales tax and other sources.

The budget includes funds for three new teaching positions for increases in kindergarten enrollment and three new teachers for special-education classes.