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

DATE: SATURDAY, April 29, 1995                   TAG: 9505020036
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD                                LENGTH: Medium

SCHOOL CHIEF HOPEFUL ABOUT FUNDING NEEDS

Now that the Radford City Schools' $8.1 million budget for 1995-96 is in place, Superintendent Michael Wright says he's optimistic the city will find a way to pay for proposed school expansion and improvement plans, possibly through a bond issue.

On Thursday, the School Board unanimously approved the new budget after last week agreeing to strip approximately $1 million in project requests in an effort to make it balance. Also deleted was almost $600,000 for new classroom technology, including new computers.

The spending plan gives teachers and school staffers raises averaging 3 percent. The board also adjusted the teachers' salary scale, at the request of the Radford Education Association, to space its 18 steps more equally.

Wright said Friday he thinks meetings between City Council and the School Board to talk about the schools' capital needs have been "most productive" and that council has been receptive.

"I feel that the city is committed to considering the bond issue," he said.

Council has mulled over the idea of floating a bond issue or arranging other long-term financing to pay for several city projects, including necessary improvements to the city's water treatment plant and school additions. While the financing initiative has not yet progressed beyond the talking stage, that could change now that council has wrapped up the 1995-96 budget.

To accommodate a wave of enrollments starting in the lower grades, the School Board wants to build additional classrooms on both elementary schools and Dalton Intermediate School. Projects to add music and art classrooms at both elementary schools - to be paid for out of this year's budget - were expected to begin this spring. However, bids came in much higher than estimates, and school officials have suggested they might have to ask the city for additional money.

In other action at Thursday's meeting, the board unanimously approved offering two health insurance options to teachers and staff members. Starting next week, employees may sign up for either the Trigon Key Advantage or Healthkeepers plans. For the past few weeks, employees have been considering several Trigon options.

The board also unanimously approved a special education plan for 1995-96 that is nearly identical to the current plan.

by CNB