ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 31, 1996 TAG: 9601310084
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
The odds are increasing that Roanoke's schoolteachers will get average pay raises of up to 7 percent in the next year, but Superintendent Wayne Harris still needs another $800,000 to guarantee it.
Thanks to Gov. George Allen's budget, the shortfall in Harris' proposed budget was trimmed from $2 million to $840,000, increasing the likelihood that his salary proposals will be approved.
State revenues for city schools will increase by $2.3 million, about $133,000 more than the state had projected before Allen's budget was released.
And the governor's budget will reduce school expenses for the city by $1.1 million because it won't have to cover in advance the cost-of-living increases in retired teachers' pensions.
In the latest good news about the budget, City Manager Bob Herbert said the city will add $47,000 to the $1.5 million increase that earlier was promised the schools for next year.
Harris said Tuesday night that he is optimistic the city will provide even more money for schools when it makes final revenue projections for next year.
Harris said the shortfall in the school budget is now slightly less than $800,000 - and he's hopeful it can be trimmed more.
Some General Assembly members are considering a proposal for the state to help pay for a raise for teachers statewide, Harris said. If that happens, Roanoke schools might receive $300,000 for raises.
``We're getting closer, and it's looking better,'' Harris said. ``Of course, all of this depends on the state legislature approving the governor's budget and providing some money for raises.''
If the shortfall is reduced to $500,000, the School Board would be faced with asking City Council for more money or cutting the school budget. If cuts are made, the salary increases might be reduced.
The board won't make a decision on the school budget until next month. The budget must be submitted to the city manager by March 15.
Harris has recommended that the pay scale for teachers be raised 6 percent next year as part of a three-year plan to reach the national average. But the average raise for teachers would be 7 percent, because nearly 20 percent would be eligible for additional step raises.
He has also proposed pay raises for all other school employees. The average increase would be 6.1 percent for principals; 4.5 percent for cafeteria workers, custodians, secretaries and other nonprofessional workers; and 3.8 percent for central office administrators.
Roanoke ranks 14th among 133 school divisions in the state in average teachers' salaries, but is below Salem and Roanoke County. Roanoke's average salary is $734 above the state average, but $2,075 below the national average.
The average salaries for principals and instructional supervisors in Roanoke also are lower than those in Salem and Roanoke County.
Harris said his recommendations for raises for teachers and principals are designed to help Roanoke be more competitive with surrounding localities and other urban school systems.
The school budget is up almost $5 million, and nearly $3.6 million of that is earmarked for pay raises for teachers and other employees. He has proposed $733,500 in new programs to deal with some of the schools' most persistent problems: poor attendance, a high dropout rate, a graduation rate below the state average, and low standardized test scores.
He has recommended hiring teacher assistants, which would allow all elementary teachers to have daily 30-minute, duty-free planning periods.
The schools face an increase of nearly $700,000 in operating expenses to cover higher utility costs, an enrollment increase and higher costs for special education students.
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