Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 5, 1995 TAG: 9505050062
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MELISSA DeVAUGHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Beginning in November, voters will select members in the county's first School Board elections.
"You have the distinction of being the last School Board member interviewed by the board," said supervisors Chairman Larry Linkous Wednesday as Blacksburg applicant Jim Klagge completed his interview.
"Will you miss it?" Klagge quipped, as Linkous and the other supervisors smiled.
Klagge is one of four applicants for two seats on the Montgomery County School Board. He is applying for the Blacksburg seat, which will be phased out in 18 months as the School Board membership is realigned to match election districts for the supervisors.
Klagge described himself as an advocate for teachers, who would work to ensure adequate raises. Teachers and other school employees just this week found out they will receive a 1.2 percent salary increase next year rather than the proposed 4 percent increase.
"Teachers are the most important aspect of a school system," said Klagge, a philosophy professor at Virginia Tech. "And they are a strong point to our school system."
Klagge said he supports the goals of the Focus 2006 group, but thinks it is putting too much emphasis on its No.1 priority, reducing class sizes, rather than on teacher salaries.
Linkous and other board members seemed to like Klagge's ideas of developing a school budget based on both preliminary estimates from the supervisors and the needs of the school system. Next, he said, the budget would be prioritized, so if the supervisors cut funds the public would know which programs would be eliminated.
School Board Chairman Roy Vickers is also seeking reappointment to the Blacksburg seat.
When asked by Supervisor Jim Moore why the School Board voted to renew Superintendent Herman Bartlett's contract last September with such a long lead time, Vickers said: "It was at the request of the superintendent. ... In the contract negotiation, it was written into the contract."
Vickers also said he thought it was a frugal use of taxpayer dollars to renew the contract because "The superintendent and the School Board need a little more continuity to plan appropriately."
Two applicants - board member Becky Raines and Mary Beth Dunkenberger - have applied for the District C seat, which covers parts of Shawsville and Elliston.
Dunkenberger cited specific goals she wants to accomplish if appointed as a board member, including increasing the community commitment to schools, encouraging Virginia Tech, Radford University and area businesses to improve business-school partnerships and increasing family involvement in children's' education and lives "so teachers can get back to teaching."
Also, said Dunkenberger, who has an extensive business background, "I would like to help the school board make the most efficient use of our limited resources.
"We really have to make investments with an eye toward future growth," she said.
Supervisor Joe Stewart asked Dunkenberger what she thought of the frequent complaint that "everything goes to Blacksburg and Christiansburg," and what she planned to do about it if appointed.
"The key, I think, is to get the community involved in our schools," she said, pointing out that some inequities do exist in the numbers of gifted students and dropouts among the four attendance areas, Blacksburg, Shawsville, Christiansburg and Auburn.
Board member Becky Raines is seeking reappointment to the District C seat. Raines said her goal as a board member is "to put the needs of the children first.
"I do have a child that attends Montgomery County Schools and I have been a lifelong resident of the county," Raines said.
Supervisor Ira Long asked Raines what she felt to be most important - self-esteem or standards of learning.
"Standards of learning," Raines said. "Why should you feel good about failing if you haven't done your best?"
Raines agreed with Vickers' comments about Bartlett's contract being extended.
"I thought it was in the best interest of the programs that were already in place," she said. "You need time to get those programs going."
A public hearing on the applicants is set for Monday at 7 p.m. in the Montgomery County Courthouse, third floor meeting room.
by CNB