ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, January 26, 1996 TAG: 9601260064
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE STAFF WRITER
One theme echoed in many of the comments during Tuesday night's public hearing on the Montgomery County School Board's proposed budget: Don't forget the teachers.
"A school system is only as good as those who participate in it," parent Regina Smith told the board. "But as surrounding counties offer better wages to their employees, we risk the chance of losing those teachers ..."
In the past five years, Montgomery County has fallen from 56th in the state for beginning salary levels to 109th, according to a Virginia Education Association study released in March.
Last year, Montgomery County's beginning salary of $22,617 was about average when compared to other New River Valley school systems. Pulaski County and Radford were higher; Floyd and Giles counties were lower.
Yet Montgomery County has a higher ability to pay for public education than those other counties.
One indicator of a locality's ability to pay is the local composite index. The index is derived from local real estate and public service corporation values, adjusted gross income and local retail sales.
Montgomery County's ability to pay falls below the state average but is the highest in the New River Valley.
The Montgomery County School Board included a 7 percent pay increase in its budget proposal for next year. The Board of Supervisors will get its first look at the proposal during its Feb. 12 meeting.
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