Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 20, 1994 TAG: 9404210018
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By ROBERT FREIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
Craig, on the losing end of a 5-1 vote Monday to balance the 1994-95 school budget, blasted City Council, teachers and fellow board members for misplaced priorities.
Council's mandated $119,936 cut from the school budget - which jeopardized the nursing position - was "unwarranted," he said.
Craig then sharply criticized a group of teachers at the meeting who opposed a slight reduction in a proposed 3 percent pay increase to save the nursing position. "I wish you'd been there" to support the School Board's budget pitch to City Council last month, Craig told the audience.
"In my five years on this board, I've never heard a proposal from the REA (Radford Education Association) that included the word 'child'," he said.
Lastly, School Board members who voted against hiring a full-time nurse were inviting a health care fiasco, Craig said.
Indicating the crowd that attended the meeting, Craig told fellow board members: "If there is a tragedy, the group in this room will look small compared to the parents that will turn out."
Board members discussed cost-saving measures such as hiring a part-time nurse or bringing the nurse on board after the start of the school year.
Ultimately, they sliced out the $29,943 position, reserving about $11,000 to fund health care services by contract.
Also removed by the board to accommodate council's cut were duty-free lunches for elementary school teachers, funding to join a classroom telecommunications network and increases in employee health care benefits.
Additionally, the board balanced its $7.6 million budget by removing about $9,000 from a $15,000 supplemental fund for Radford High School athletic programs.
Craig - who referred to himself as "Mr. Evil" during the meeting - wanted to save the school nurse by taking money from the athletic fund and by shaving a small amount off the proposed pay increase.
Other board members disagreed. Guy Wohlford drew applause from teachers in the audience when he refused to back the salary-increase reduction.
Several acknowledged city schools need as many as three new nurses. Yet because of financial constraints, adding even one new nurse is "proving to be an impossible task," said George Ducker.
Craig's proposal to eliminate use of tobacco products in school buildings fared better.
The board unanimously approved a policy change that would ban inside smoking or chewing of tobacco by faculty and school employees.
Radford students already can't smoke, chew or possess tobacco products inside or outside school buildings.
Board members debated delaying the vote for more feedback from school employees , or limiting the ban to cover only tobacco smoking instead of chewing.
Chairman Guy Gentry primarily wanted to eliminate second-hand smoke. By also banning chewing tobacco, "I'm concerned we're protecting someone who doesn't want to be protected," he said.
The board passed the prohibition, anyway. Now teachers or other school employees who want to smoke will have to go outside.
by CNB