Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 25, 1994 TAG: 9410250104
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Still, he believes parents and voters should have a greater voice in running county schools, and the School Board also should be more heavily involved in school operations.
Item: The recent ban on book bags in classrooms and halls at Cave Spring Junior High School.
Newman, a candidate for the Windsor Hills District seat on the School Board, said the issue should have been brought to the board.
Other issues such the grading system and textbook approvals should be considered by the board, too, he said.
As a board member, Newman said, he would help ensure that the schools are operated to benefit the students.
The county has a good school system, he said, but parents believe they should be consulted on major issues such as the proposed realignment of grades at Cave Spring and Hidden Valley junior high schools.
"The concerns of students, parents, teachers, administrators and staff are important and should be brought before the board," Newman said.
The students should have the opportunity to express themselves, and the board and other adults should listen, he said.
Newman, 41, believes that his business experience would be valuable on the board. He is the general manager of DunMar Moving Systems and agent for Allied Van Lines. He supports the blossoming partnership between business and schools.
He believes the School Board should be more aggressive in seeking money from the supervisors for schools, especially for computers and other technology.
The School Board has included $1million for instructional technology in an upcoming bond sale, but Newman said more might be needed. The school division needs to prepare the students to compete in a global society, he said.
Newman, who lives in the Bent Mountain community, hopes to have strong support from his neighbors. But one of his opponents in the four-way race, Lisa Merrill, also lives on Bent Mountain.
Newman is familiar with county schools, especially in Southwest County. He is a graduate of Cave Spring High School.
The Windsor Hills District, which has 10,027 voters, extends from the suburbs of Southwest Roanoke County to Bent Mountain. In the four-way contest, the winner might get fewer than 3,000 votes. The largest portion of the district's voters live in the suburbs off Virginia 419.
Like all candidates, Newman is running as an independent, and he has eschewed support from all organizations. He won't accept contributions or endorsements from anyone.
Newman says he does not want to be indebted to any group or individual, and he plans to spend no more than $1,000 on his campaign. He said he's not a politician and won't mount an extensive campaign.
He wants the county to develop policies that will motivate parents to become involved with their children's education.
"Parents need to help discipline, especially on school buses. The only thing bus drivers can do is to take an unruly child back to the school, and that doesn't solve the problem," he said. The bus drivers need help, and parents should provide it by teaching their children not to be disruptive.
Some parents worry about the safety of their children at school. Publicity about a North Cross School student taking a gun to school alarmed some parents. North Cross is a private school, but the news report still caused fear about conditions in county schools.
Newman favors the expulsion of students who bring guns or other weapons to school. School authorities need to act quickly to ensure safety, he said.
He wants teachers' salaries to be competitive with those in other top school divisions. "We need to hire and keep the best teachers. I support bringing our salaries up," Newman said.
Newman supports the proposal for a new Cave Spring High School and believes that a bond issue to pay for it should have been submitted to voters this year.
The Board of Supervisors and School Board have approved a bond sale that will provide $1.5 million for planning, architectural and engineering costs for the project. They will decide later how to finance the estimated $20 million cost and whether to have a bond referendum.
School administrators say it will take five or six years to plan and build the school. But the growth in population will cause a space crunch long before a new high school can be built, Newman said.
WAYNE NEWMAN
WINDSOR HILLS DISTRICT
Age: 41.
Birthplace: Roanoke County.
Occupation: General manager DunMar Moving Systems and agent for Allied Van Lines.
Education: Virginia Western Community College, associate degree in accounting.
Community activities: Bent Mountain Civic League, Cave Spring Junior High School Parent-Teacher Association, Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce, Roanoke County Business and Education Partnership.
No.1 concern or goal as a board member: To provide the best education for the children that we can afford.
Last book read: "Without Remorse," by Tom Clancy.
Family: Wife, Vickie; children Niki, Radford University, and Ryan, Cave Spring Junior High School.
Keywords:
POLITICS PROFILE
by CNB