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

DATE: SATURDAY, May 14, 1994                   TAG: 9405160153
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SCHOOL WORKERS' RAISES APPROVED

The Roanoke County School Board has approved a $71.8 million budget for 1994-95 that includes a 3 percent pay raise for teachers and other school employees.

In addition, there will be a pay scale adjustment equal to a 1 percent raise, meaning most school employees will receive the equivalent of a 4 percent raise.

The School Board trimmed its hoped-for budget by $800,000 Thursday because the Board of Supervisors granted only half of its request for an additional $1.6 million.

The School Board did preserve the employee raises, however.

Earlier, the supervisors approved an increase of $2.5 million for schools in the next fiscal year.

Superintendent Bayes Wilson made the pay raises his top priority and recommended cuts in other areas to balance the budget. Most of the cuts were made in instructional equipment, supplies, maintenance, utilities, library materials and other instructional categories.

Pay raises for teachers in all Roanoke Valley school divisions next year will be in the same range.

Roanoke has approved 4.6 percent raises for teachers. Salem has approved 3.5 percent raises and increased its contribution for health insurance, providing the equivalent of 4 percent raises.

Most of the $3.7 million increase in the county school budget will be financed with local funds. The county will provide $3.3 million - the $2.5 million approved by the Board of Supervisors earlier and the $800,000 in additional money - and the state, $400,000.

Assistant Superintendent Deanna Gordon said the county will be allowed to keep collecting fees for lockers and some course materials. The state has banned textbook rental fees, and other fees had been in doubt.

To avoid a further budget increase, the county will seek a $500,000 low-interest loan from the Virginia Public Service Authority to pay for repairs and improvements at several schools next year.

The projects to be financed with the loan include roof replacements at several schools, an elevator at Glen Cove Elementary, air conditioning and heating systems at several schools and improvements to make several schools more accessible for the disabled.

by CNB