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

DATE: TUESDAY, July 11, 1995                   TAG: 9507110062
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SCHOOL BOARD CHIEF SAYS TEACHER RAISES, TAX CUTS DON'T MIX

``Talk of a tax cut doesn't square with what we are trying to do,'' Harris said.

Harris said he doesn't want to disrupt the board's amicable relationship with council, but said it is imperative that the board make known its needs and priorities.

School officials said it could cost up to $2.3 million in additional local and state revenue over the next three years to reach their teacher-salary goal.

That would be in addition to the normal growth in local and state funds of about $3.1 million a year.

Faced with cuts in federal funds and small increases in state funds for education, Harris said, the schools are being forced to rely more heavily on local funds.

Bowers has recommended that possible cuts in the real estate and personal property tax rates be referred to council's budget study next year.

At its annual planning workshop, the School Board gave informal approval to a goal of providing a 6 percent pay raise for teachers in each of the next three years.

Roanoke teachers have been averaging about a 4 percent raise in recent years. To catch up to the national average in three years, the teachers would require the additional 2 percent a year.

Their salaries are nearly $2,500 below the national average. In the next year, city teachers will average $36,315, while the national average is $38,802. Roanoke salaries range from $25,937 for a starting teacher just out of college to $40,523 for a teacher with a master's degree and 22 years' experience.

Based on projected increases over the next three years, Roanoke teachers would average about $43,865 by the 1998-99 school year.

To achieve the goal on teacher salaries, Superintendent Wayne Harris said the school system would have to make cuts in some budget categories, in addition to seeking more local and state funds.

Discretionary spending for supplies, textbooks, travel and several other items would have to be reduced by 5 percent to 10 percent, he said. ``We will have to tighten our belts and freeze personnel positions so no new jobs are created.''

The superintendent said the board should also ask council and the state legislature to give funding priority to raising teachers salaries to the national average.

He said he also wants to raise the salaries of other school employees to make them competitive with their counterparts nationally.

Vice Chairwoman Marilyn Curtis said she believes it is time for the board to make a commitment to reaching the national average for teachers, noting that it has been discussed for several years.

``If you keep putting it off, you keep falling behind,'' said Melinda Payne, the newest board member.

Member John Saunders said he supports the goal, but that the school system needs to adopt new performance standards that hold teachers accountable for their work.

``It should be compensation for performance,'' he said. ``There has to be a notion of accountability.''

``We shouldn't be behind surrounding school districts in salaries,'' said Charles Day. ``I share [Saunders'] philosophy. Pay them good and expect a good performance.''

Wayne Harris said the schools already evaluate teachers' performance, but it will take time to develop and implement revised performance standards. He suggested the salaries could be raised while the standards are developed.

Board member Finn Pincus said he liked the goal, but he questioned whether the city and state would provide the needed funds. ``Will we get this kind of money?'' he asked.

Nelson Harris said he wouldn't predict whether council would provide the funds, but the board needs to be an advocate for the schools.

``I'm hoping that we can demonstrate, in a positive and amicable way, our needs,'' Harris said.

Pincus said school administrators should prepare teachers and other school employees to accept the cuts in other budget categories to free up funds for the pay raises.

``If they don't understand why the cuts are being made, there could be a lot of moans and groans,'' he said.