ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 27, 1995 TAG: 9512270030
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: PULASKI
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on December 28, 1995.
A photo accompanying a School Board story on Wednesday misidentified
Pulaski County School Board member Jeff Bain. The photo was actually of
incoming Pulaski County Supervisor Charles Cook.
Three new members will take their seats on the five-member Pulaski County School Board when it meets next week for its first 1996 session.
Two of the members have backgrounds in education; the third has a background in financial management. All three are expected to look at details of new educational programs coming before the board.
Pulaski County has been an innovator in a number of new initiatives, including block scheduling of classes, a system to make sure pupils are developing the skills they will need in higher grades, and placing computers in all classrooms from kindergarten on up.
Rhea Saltz, 64, the incoming Robinson District representative, served on the board once before in an at-large seat that was discontinued. Now an antiques dealer, he has been a teacher, coach and principal, and is known for asking a lot of questions about matters before the board.
Beth Nelson, 68, will be no rubber-stamp member, either. The new Cloyd District representative has been a teacher, served in the Pulaski County school system's central office, and directed a reading program and an education department at Radford University before retiring.
Jeff Bain, 49, a real estate developer representing the Massie District, will look closely at finances. He has said he wants to do away with the sign-up sheet required in advance for people to address the School Board, calling it a barrier to communication.
All three are on record as opposing the consolidation of the county's two middle schools, as recommended by a task force that studied building needs.
Saltz said he would have to be convinced that consolidation is a good idea. Bain said Pulaski and Dublin Middle Schools are sound enough to be upgraded for modern classrooms, and a new school would be too costly.
Nelson also favors smaller community schools, but said it may be almost as expensive to upgrade them for computers and other technology they will need.
Dr. Nathan Tuck, Carolyn Brown and Sybil Atkinson are leaving the board following the county's first election of board members last month.
At the last meeting in December, school officials thanked them for their work.
"It's been a learning experience for me," said Carolyn Brown, who has represented Cloyd since July 1991. She has offered to help within the school system in any way she can as the new board takes over.
"Education has always been important to me," said Atkinson, a former teacher. She also served on the Governor's Champion Schools Commission and backed many of the newer initiatives such as lowering pupil-teacher ratios and making sure skills are mastered in lower grades. "I hope the new board will continue with this," she said.
Tuck joined the board in 1983, representing the Draper District. Later, he moved to the Massie District. (He was off the board for only a short time before the Board of Supervisors named him as the Massie representative in 1991.)
"Over those years, I've served under three superintendents. I've learned a whole bunch, and I hope I've given back a little bit," he said.
Tuck was high on the qualifications of the new board members. "With the ability that they're bringing to the board, there's no reason that the School Board of 1996 can't be the best we've ever had," he said.
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshots) Saltz, Nelson, Bain.by CNB