ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 14, 1996 TAG: 9603140072
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on March 15, 1996.
If Roanoke County voters approve an April 2 bond refernendum, the
technology allocation for each child will be $73.20. Because of
amisplaced decimal point, an incorrect number was reported in a story
Wednesday.
Cave Spring Supervisor Fuzzy Minnix is worried that Roanoke County schools will suffer if voters keep fighting over money for the schools.
If a school bond referendum is defeated on April 2, it could cause resentment among different areas, jeopardize future bond issues and have a lasting effect on the schools, Minnix said Wednesday.
And if some voters oppose the bonds because they don't think schools in their communities are being treated fairly, he said, voters in other areas might do the same thing in the next referendum.
"This could lead to a point where our education system could suffer a blow that it couldn't recover from," Minnix said. "I don't think we want to go back to where we were in the 1950s."
Some voters in Glenvar and North County have complained that most of the $37.4 million bond issue will be spent on a new Cave Spring High School, while their schools receive a small amount.
Minnix appealed to voters to unify behind the referendum at a news conference at which several other county officials said schools and education are cheaper than jails and crime.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Bob Johnson linked the bond referendum to crime prevention, saying good schools will help curb crime and the growth in the prison population.
"If you think education is expensive, wait until you see the cost of ignorance," he said. "You either pay now or you pay later."
The cost of educating a child in county schools is $5,500 a year, while it costs $32,000 a year to house an inmate in the state prison system, Johnson said.
He said studies have shown a link between education and crime: Many inmates are school dropouts with lower educational levels.
Juvenile crime is on the rise in Roanoke County and the rest of country, Johnson said. "We are not an island apart from the country."
The General Assembly approved a restructuring of Virginia's juvenile justice system earlier this week. Part of the program focuses on prevention and treatment of juvenile offenders.
"You need to nip crime in the bud if you are going to hold down the high cost," he said.
Of the inmates in the county jail last Friday, about 40 percent did not graduate from high school, County Sheriff Gerald Holt said. Many have been employed because of their lack of education. Nearly 60 percent were between ages 17 and 29.
The county jail must be expanded soon at an estimated cost of $120 per square foot, Holt said, while the new high school is projected to cost $99 per square foot.
"The smart thing is to invest dollars in education so these people are employable," he said. "My experience in law enforcement is that we are often dealing with repeat offenders. There is a correlation between crime and education."
Commonwealth's Attorney Skip Burkart also urged voters to approve the school bonds, saying he believes the county's education system is one reason it has a relatively low crime rate.
Burkart said he usually doesn't get involved in political issues, but he believes education is one of the most important functions of government. He said that's why he wasn't reluctant to support the issue.
School Board Chairman Jerry Canada said he believes the referendum will determine whether county voters can work cooperatively on school issues. "On April 3, I think we will be together or we will split."
Have a question about the Roanoke County bond issue? Let us know so we can follow up. Write Joel Turner, The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010.
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