Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 31, 1995 TAG: 9507310100
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Jerry Canada says he's no politician, even though he now heads one of the two elected political bodies in Roanoke County.
And he's probably right. Quiet and reserved, unlike the typical politician, he owes his position as the new chairman of the School Board largely to a newspaper advertisement.
Canada never considered seeking a board seat until 3 1/2 years ago, when he happened to see an ad inviting applicants. Under the system used then, board members were chosen by a court-appointed selection commission.
He had to rush to get his application and resume filed before the deadline. He was named to fill the vacancy in the Hollins District and ran unopposed last fall when the county switched to an elected board.
Canada, 45, said recently he still finds it hard to believe he is taking over for Frank Thomas, the longtime chairman who gave up the position this month and will leave the School Board at the end of the year.
Once the publicity about his selection is over, Canada said, he hopes to work quietly in the background and stay out of the news.
"I hope the attention will be on the children and what is happening in the schools - not what the board might be doing," he said.
Canada downplays his selection as chairman and his willingness to give the time and energy that is required for the post. Board members are paid $2,900 a year, and the chairman receives $4,000.
"I'm just an average guy with average intelligence who is willing to serve," he said. "I thank God every day that I have the energy to keep doing what I am doing."
Canada, manager of the Roanoke customer service center for the state Department of Motor Vehicles, said he can't give as much time to the post as Thomas because of the demands of his job. He will, however, share some responsibilities with Vice Chairman Michael Stovall and other board members, so the job won't take so much of his time.
"We will try to find ways to help spread the duties," he said.
Canada has long been interested in county schools and active in the Parent-Teacher Association. His son, Ben, is a graduate of Northside High School and a student at the College of William and Mary. His daughter, Jenny, is a sophomore at Northside.
His wife, Lane, works for the Roanoke Social Services Department.
Canada said the county has a good school system, but he's not content to be a caretaker.
"We're good now, but we can get better," he said.
In the competition for county tax money in recent years, he said, the school system came up short because of many other expensive projects, such as a new landfill and water reservoir. The schools were forced to postpone many repairs and maintenance projects, such as roofs and parking lots.
But Canada said the Board of Supervisors provided sufficient funds for the school system this year. The supervisors increased school funding by 10.5 percent, to $4.75 million.
The schools must remain a funding priority, he said, if teachers' salaries are to be increased to the national average.
Building projects will be a priority for Canada and board members in the next few months as they decide whether to build a new Cave Spring High School and a new gymnasium for Northside High School.
Consultants are studying the Cave Spring issue to determine whether the county should build one big high school or create two smaller ones in the Southwest part of the county.
Canada said he has an open mind about it, and he expects the board to make a decision by the end of the year.
Canada has a special interest in the Northside gym project because many students in the Hollins District attend the school. He has been involved with the project since the beginning.
Architects estimate that a 2,250-seat gym, auditorium and four classrooms at Northside Middle School could cost $4 million to $5 million, but officials are hoping for lower bids. The gym will be used for Northside High's basketball games.
If the bids are higher than the project's $3.3 million budget, the board could ask the supervisors for more money or postpone the auditorium and classrooms.
Canada said he doesn't want to delay the auditorium and classrooms, because they are needed. He said he wishes a gym with 3,000 or more seats could be built, as some Northside boosters want. But there isn't enough money to do that.
"What we have is a compromise of the dream that some people had," he said. "I don't want to settle for anything less than what we have now."
Canada said he hopes the school system can do more to help teachers maintain order in classrooms and discipline disruptive students. "We need to let teachers know that we support them," he said. Likewise, bus drivers need strong backing from school officials in keeping order on buses, he said.
Canada, who participates in whitewater rafting and church league softball for recreation, said he enjoys the School Board work. "In some ways, it offers a diversion from my regular job," he said.
by CNB