ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, March 6, 1996 TAG: 9603060035
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAVID EMEIGH
IN A COUPLE weeks, Botetourt County citizens will have the opportunity to review and ask questions concerning the 1996-97 school budget.
At the last School Board meeting, it was revealed that the new budget would be in excess of $25 million.
With an estimated increase in enrollment of 100 students, it will cost us $3 million to educate them. I know the county is opening a new school, which is the main reason for the increase in required funding. However, the cost of educating a student will have increased by almost 20 percent - from $5,000 to $5,850 per student.
The School Board chairman assured us that only $2 million would be needed from Botetourt County, and the remaining $1 million would come from the state. In other words, county taxpayers would pay $2 million while taxpayers of Virginia would pay $1 million.
What? Aren't we both?
Maybe it's time to review how past School Boards have spent our money.
In 1994, the school administration decided to buy a lot near Lord Botetourt High School for a future parking lot, at a cost of $30,000. The plat was sent to a landscape engineer, and a parking lot was designed.
Nine months later, officials decided to purchase a second lot to build a larger parking lot. By this time, the cost had increased to $35,000.
Both plats were sent back to the engineer to redesign the new parking lot. When the new plans came back, it was discovered that a retention pond would be required according to Environmental Protection Agency regulations. However, there wasn't any room to build the pond.
Oops - $65,000-plus wasted.
In the spring of 1995, the superintendent told us that unless Botetourt County supervisors approved the new school budget, a much-deserved 5 percent pay raise for school employees couldn't be given.
However, there was no threat to the superintendent's salary. Due to previous arrangements, his budgeted salary of $74,122 was actually $95,516. The administration retirement plan was budgeted at $14,494, but was actually $25,054. In fact, a total of $79,914 was shifted around to end up in the executive-administration account.
If this had been previously arranged, why wasn't it budgeted?
During both the 1992-93 and 1993-94 school years, the superintendent's salary was nearly $10,000 more each year than what was budgeted. With the superintendent announcing early retirement, one has to wonder what other arrangements were made.
Regarding the 5 percent pay raise mentioned above, many teachers and school employees didn't receive a full 5 percent because they were near the top of their pay sale. However, the superintendent received a 5 percent pay raise. Surely, he must be near the top of his pay scale.
In fairness to our current School Board, three members are new and had nothing to do with these matters. But the current chairman and vice chairman were on the team that approved these budgets. I believe they owe the public an explanation.
Last year, Bonnie Mayo was unfairly slammed more than once for simply wanting to know how the money was being spent. Maybe we should all ask how it's being spent.
At the close of the last School Board meeting, the chairman said, ``I hope everybody knows the telephone number of their supervisor.''
I agree. But instead of asking them to pass the budget, maybe it's time to ask for an audit. This would be the only way to really know how our tax dollars are being spent. and exactly how much is being used to educate our children.
The greatest investment we can make is in our children. Let's be sure that's what we're doing.
David Emeigh of Eagle Rock is president of the Northern Botetourt Community Association.
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