ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 21, 1996 TAG: 9603210037
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
note: below
Former Superintendent Frank Tota and the Roanoke School Board could be headed for court in the dispute over the board's refusal to pay his full $35,000 annual consulting fee for a report that was written last year.
The 18-page report initially was returned to Tota because it was handwritten rather than typed. After he had the report typed, the board offered to pay one-third of the $35,000 fee for the report on funding sources for magnet schools even though it said the work was not satisfactory because Tota had not done enough research.
The former superintendent could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but a School Board member, who would talk only if not identified, said Tota has indicated he might go to court to try to collect the full $35,000 fee.
Chairman Nelson Harris would not comment on his communications with Tota, but he said the board will consider the issue at its next meeting.
"The board will decide the direction that we will go on this," Harris said.
The former superintendent has suggested that the board has rejected the 1995 report for political reasons. But board members have said the issue is his contractual obligation to provide a well-researched report.
Tota's seven-year, early-retirement contract requires him to work initially on funding and other issues related to magnet schools. Under the contract, Tota is required to do consulting work for 160 hours a year - that's 20 days - to receive the $35,000 fee.
The board paid him the full $35,000 fee for his first consultant's report in 1994.
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