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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 9, 1994                   TAG: 9501100044
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A9   EDITION: METREO 
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

SCHOOL BOARD GOES TO VOTERS

Elected School Board

Yes--2,468--72%

No---965--28%

Radford residents will get to elect their School Board members starting in 1996. By a wide margin, voters approved a referendum to change the method of picking School Board members from appointment to election.

Kelly Morris, who initiated the petition drive in January to put the issue before the voters, was pleased with the outcome.

"It's now in the people's hands. They'll take it from here," she said.

The elected School Board question never generated much debate on either side among city voters, who flocked to the polls in near-record numbers.

Five of the six current board members said before the vote they favored retaining the current system of letting City Council appoint School Board members.

Only Chris Strange, the board's newest member, favored an elected board.