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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 31, 1995                   TAG: 9505310070
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

EARLY BOARD HOPES TO GET THE FUNDING

Even five years in advance.

The School Board has decided to calculate its budget needs until the year 2000 and submit them to the Board of Supervisors. That includes the money needed to raise teachers' salaries to the national average by 2000.

"They'll know what we will need and won't be surprised," said School Board Vice Chairman Jerry Canada.

The School Board recently adopted a five-year plan for increasing teacher salaries that calls for county pay to meet or exceed the national average. The county average is about $1,800 below the national average now.

Another five-year goal is for the county to rank in the top 25 school divisions in the state in all salary categories. It now ranks from 26th to 68th, depending on the category.

"We should put dollars to some of the goals, and the supervisors will know where we are coming from," said School Board Chairman Frank Thomas.

Jerry Hardy, director of budget and data management for county schools, said he will compute the numbers soon so they can be sent to the supervisors.

This year, the School Board had to wait several weeks to learn whether County Administrator Elmer Hodge and the supervisors would provide an additional $960,000 to cover a deficit in the school budget for next year.

Hodge and School Superintendent Deanna Gordon developed a plan for making up the deficit and providing an additional $440,000 for schools by using more surplus funds and cutting maintenance money.

"We showed the supervisors where we wanted to go," Thomas said. "I think that is one reason we got the money."

Supervisor Bob Johnson said he likes the School Board's plan to submit its needs for five years. He said he has requested it.

"It's a good business practice. We have been asking for five-year capital improvement plans for fire trucks, police cruisers and things like that," he said. "If teachers' salaries are a priority, it is foolish to put together a capital improvement budget without including the cost of salaries."

Salaries account for 80 percent of the school budget.

"If it takes five years for us to get teachers' salaries to the national average, we should budget for it," Johnson said.

Supervisors Chairman Fuzzy Minnix said the five-year projection will help the county better plan its finances, but the supervisors can't make a commitment on school funds several years in advance.

"I don't know if we can adhere to the five-year schedule. It will depend on the economy and our finances," Minnix said. "I'd love to have our teachers up to the national average, but we are at the mercy of the economy and other factors."

The county will provide an average raise of 4.8 percent for teachers and other county employees in the next year. The county's financial condition is better and has enabled the supervisors to provide substantial raises, he said.

"When you can reward employees as we will be able to do this year, you better do it when you can," Minnix said.