Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 22, 1994 TAG: 9412220109
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Allen has cut $13million from grant programs that provide extra student services such as dropout prevention, English as a second language and homework assistance, as well as school maintenance.
Roanoke School Superintendent Wayne Harris said he was disheartened by Allen's budget.
"It's kind of frightening and scary. It could affect our dropout prevention program" and funds for the Roanoke Valley Governor's School for Science and Technology, Harris said.
Roanoke's dropout rate is 6.7 percent, one of the highest in Western Virginia.
Roanoke schools stand to lose nearly $500,000 a year because of Allen's cuts, said Richard Kelley, assistant superintendent for operations.
Roanoke County Superintendent Deanna Gordon said the cuts for public schools were lighter than those for many other agencies.
But Gordon said the schools will be affected by deep reductions in funds for art, historical and cultural agencies. Many students visit affected cultural centers, such as Center in the Square, on class trips.
The public schools also will be affected by budget cuts for higher education, she said, because they could reduce services offered by colleges and universities to public schools.
"Reductions in other areas can have an impact for us," Gordon said.
Still, some school officials felt almost a sense of relief.
"All in all, it could have been worse," said Wayne Tripp, Salem's school superintendent
"This is a retrenchment budget, but kindergarten through the 12th grade fared relatively well," Tripp said. "More money for education could help reduce the need for more prisons" later on.
Allen has proposed a 2.25 percent salary increase for teachers, the same as for state employees.
Rob Jones, president of the Virginia Education Association, said he was hesitant to complain about the small raises for teachers when 1,100 state jobs are being eliminated, but the raises don't enable teachers to keep up with increases in the cost of living.
Because the pay raises won't become effective until December 1995, Jones said, they will be smaller on an annualized basis. He said they will be lower than the rate of inflation, now slightly below 3 percent.
During the past four years, he said, teachers have lost 7 percentage points to the consumer price index.
Jones said the 2.25 percent increase in teacher salaries was mandated by the General Assembly; Allen didn't initiate it.
The teacher pay raise decision will be made by local school boards, which can supplement state funds to give higher raises. Roanoke recently proposed a 4.25 percent teacher raise.
Jones said the VEA staff is reviewing the budget and determining the impact on each of the state's 136 school divisions. "We are trying to determine the winners and losers," he said.
The budget summary says that the state will provide an increase of $50 per pupil in school funds, Jones said, but the VEA staff is trying to verify that figure.
The governor has included $500,000 for demonstration charter schools, even though funds for some schools will be reduced.
"When you put in money for charter schools and other things, that seems to indicate where your preferences are," Jones said.
Charter schools are independently operated schools financed by public funds. State Sen. Brandon Bell, R-Roanoke County, will introduce a charter school bill in the General Assembly next month.
Under the Allen plan, Bedford County schools will lose about $335,000, said Superintendent John Kent.
"I'm hoping that the General Assembly will put the money for schools back into the budget," he said.
Kent said that the state has projected high sales tax revenues, which will reduce state aid for schools. If a locality's sales tax revenue increases, the state reduces the basic aid for schools.
Kent said the state plays a shell game with the funds. As a result, school divisions often end up with less money than expected.
In Montgomery County, Superintendent Herman Bartlett said he still is reviewing the figures on the Allen cuts.
"But the bottom line is that it looks bad for Montgomery County schools," Bartlett said. "We haven't had the time to calculate the specific amount."
In Botetourt County, school administrators also are reviewing the budget details, but they believe the cuts won't be crippling.
"It looks like that the amount of basic state aid for education won't be reduced," said Superintendent Clarence McClure.
McClure said that several grant programs will be cut, but they won't have a significant impact on Botetourt.
Franklin County schools will lose $58,785 in funds in three categories, said Lee Cheatham, business manager for the school system.
"It's not as bad as we expected, but it's tough to lose anything," Cheatham said.
by CNB