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

DATE: FRIDAY, February 24, 1995                   TAG: 9502240107
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SCHOOLS STILL FACE SHORTFALL

As the School Board begins to put together a budget for the 1995-96 school year, it faces a potential shortfall of at least $1.3 million.

Chairman Frank Thomas said the board might get close to $1 million in new state money because of budget changes by the General Assembly. It had expected to receive about $750,000.

But that will fall far short of meeting the schools' needs.

The board was told Thursday night that the recommended increases in nonsalary items such as group health insurance, building renovations, computers and other supplies total $2 million in the next year.

The board will try to deal with the nonsalary needs, Thomas said, but it also wants to provide pay raises for teachers and other school employees.

Preliminary estimates show that a 1 percent across-the-board raise for school employees and a 2 percent step increase would cost about $1.8 million, Thomas said.

The School Board expects to have $2.5 million in additional funds next year. Besides the $1 million in state money, it expects to receive $1.5 million in additional local money from the county Board of Supervisors.

"If we used $1.8 million on salaries, that would leave us only $700,000 to deal with nonsalary items," Thomas said.

Thomas said the School Board might ask the supervisors for more money.

"Most of the $2 million in nonsalary items are true needs, and hopefully the supervisors will see the needs," he said.

Superintendent Deanna Gordon said it's too early to recommend pay raises until revenue estimates are more firm.

But, Gordon said, "I see indications that the supervisors want to improve salaries. Salaries are our highest priority."

The county's school funding problems have developed over the past decade as its per-pupil spending has slipped compared with other school divisions, Gordon said.

In the early 1980s, Roanoke County's education spending was above the state average, but it dropped in the early 1990s.

Gordon said 36 school divisions now spend more on education on a per-pupil basis than Roanoke County.

"Is it any wonder that some buildings have maintenance problems and there are concerns about the salary scale?" she said.

The School Board will have another budget session after the administration develops salary recommendations and has a chance to review the revenue projections.