Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 24, 1994 TAG: 9410240085
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
He is the only candidate who has served on the board. He was a member from 1985 to 1989 when the board was appointed by a selection commission.
Cullinan, running in the four-way campaign for the Windsor Hills seat, said he wants to keep politics out of the school system.
"I am no politician and I am afraid that politics will hurt the schools," he said.
Cullinan believes his experience would be helpful during the county's transition to an elected board and to new Superintendent Deanna Gordon.
He believes the system of an appointed board worked well and he would have preferred that it remain. After county voters approved the change to an elected board, however, Cullinan said he decided to run to help prevent the schools from becoming politicized.
Cullinan, 48, said he's afraid that the elected system will cause bickering and dissent.
"It is not the way to create cohesion and cooperation on the board," he said.
Cullinan has not been specific about his complaint about politics. But Thomas Leggette, one of his opponents, said he assumes that Cullinan is talking about him.
Leggette has won the endorsement of the chairmen of the Democratic and Republican parties in the county and the Roanoke County Education Association's political-action committee.
Cullinan said he thought it would be a conflict of interest to have the support of the teachers because he would have to vote on their salaries as a board member.
All the candidates want the same thing - quality schools, Cullinan said. The difference is in their approach, he said.
Some candidates would be aggressive and outspoken on issues, taking stands before they reach the board, he said.
Cullinan said it is inappropriate for board members to get out front before they have heard both sides of issues.
"The board should let the process go forward before taking a position," he said. "If the board members get involved too early, they become judge, jury and prosecution."
Cullinan, a certified public accountant and president of a contracting and restoration company, would push for more money for schools if he is elected.
For too long, he said, the schools have had to operate with too little money.
Despite the funding crunch, he said, the county has one of the top school systems in the state. Some school systems in Northern Virginia spend more than $8,000 a year on each child while Roanoke County spends less than $6,000.
When Cullinan was on the board, he said, the first thing trimmed from the budget each year was funds for the maintenance of buildings. Now the county needs $4 million for maintenance and restoration.
He said the county also needs to upgrade computers and instructional technology. The School Board recently agreed to include $1 million for technology in an upcoming bond sale.
Under the new elected system in the county, the School Board will not have the power of taxation. But some candidates believe that the state ultimately will give school boards taxing authority.
Not Cullinan. "It would be a political nightmare if a school board had the power to tax because it would be competing with" the local governing body for funds, he said.
Cullinan said Roanoke County and other suburban counties are being shortchanged by the General Assembly's attempt to resolve disparity in school funding. The legislature provided more school money for rural counties and cities this year to ease the disparity.
Roanoke received nearly $1 million in disparity funds to hire more teachers and have smaller classes in the early elementary grades. Roanoke County received $25,000.
The funding formula doesn't take into account the local taxing effort, he said.
"The county is being hurt because it provides more local money for schools."
Cullinan said schools are being forced to provide more health and social services at a time when funds are short.
"Schools can't be expected to assume responsibility for all the moral and social economic problems afflicting the nation. The mission of the schools is educate children, and that's what they should do," he said.
RICHARD CULLINAN WINDSOR HILLS DISTRICT
Age: 48
Birthplace: Richmond
Occupation: President of Paul Davis Systems, a franchise company that manages the restoration of houses and buildings that are damaged by fire or other causes. He is also a certified public accountant.
Education: VIrginia Tech, bachelor's degree in biology, and Virginia Commonwealth University, master's degree in business administration.
Community activities: Parent-Teacher Associations at Penn Forest Elementary School, Cave Spring Junior High School and Cave Spring High School.
No. 1 concern or goal as board member: To make sure that the schools are adequately funded to help preserve the quality of the school system. The schools need more money.
Last book read: "Centennial" by James A. Michener
Family: Wife, Linda; children: Mike, student at Virginia Tech; Doug, Cave Spring High; and Brad, Cave Spring Junior High.
Keywords:
POLITICS PROFILE
by CNB