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

DATE: FRIDAY, December 23, 1994                   TAG: 9412230148
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD                                LENGTH: Medium

RADFORD SCHOOLS HOPE FOR $50,000 MORE FROM STATE|

The city's schools can expect an additional $50,000 or so from the state next year compared to this year's budget, Superintendent Michael Wright estimates, though figures from Richmond indicate a much larger increase.

School Board Chairman Guy Gentry and Vice Chairman Chip Craig said the amount was about what they had expected. "It's not nearly enough," Craig added.

Gentry called the increase "very slim" and said the board had "some hard decisions to make."

Wright said Thursday he came up with the $50,000 figure - which he'll plug into his proposed 1995-96 budget - after adjusting the state's projections "for realistic enrollment and sales tax estimates."

Wright said his experience has shown that revenue projections from Richmond typically inflate both enrollments and sales tax figures. The state's aid figures were based on a projected enrollment of 1,504, while Wright calculated his own figure using 35 fewer pupils.

The State Department of Education projects Radford schools will get a total of $4.16 million from the state for 1995-96, a nearly $109,500 jump from the money expected from the state this year. The state's contribution to city schools for 1994-95 rose by $385,750 over the previous year.

For 1995-96, the state projects no per-pupil increases over the current year either for basic aid or to implement state standards of quality for vocational, special, gifted and remedial education. Maintenance money, approximately $15,000 this year, was eliminated for next year, while the new technology allocation dropped by more than $4,500. The city will get almost $7,300 in new money for programs to benefit "at-risk" 4-year-olds.

The state's projected figures include money to cover 2.5 percent salary increases for teachers, effective Dec. 1, 1995, which Wright estimated would cost $92,860.

The School Board has sent City Council approximately $2.7 million in new spending requests for the 1995-96 school year, though council has asked city departments to limit next year's spending to one-half percent above current levels, which would translate to only $17,900 dollars for the school division.

The board's request includes average 3.9 percent salary increases for teachers and other school division employees and $953,400 to add music and art classrooms at Belle Heth Elementary School and classrooms and a gymnasium at McHarg Elementary School. It also contains almost $690,000 for new or improved educational technology, much of it for new computers.

It's not clear yet how the city would pay for some of the capital projects on the board's list. City Council wants to float a bond issue, tentatively estimated at $6 million, to pay for several city projects. Council has proposed earmarking $1 million of the bond issue for school projects.

Wright said he'd have little to say about the state's revenue projections until he has a chance to fold his own estimates into the proposed 1995-96 budget and "assess the net effects."

Craig suggested the school division would look to the city to make up at least some of the difference. The School Board and City Council meet Jan. 10 to iron out budget priorities.

by CNB