ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Wednesday, June 26, 1996               TAG: 9606260057
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: C-2  EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE 

SCHOOLS' GUIDANCE RULES KEPT

The Montgomery County School Board easily agreed Tuesday night to keep the present guidance program, where parents can choose to keep their children out of such services.

With three members missing, the board voted 5-1 to keep the ``opt-out" stipulation for guidance. Vice Chairman Barry Worth was the sole dissenter.

There was no discussion before the vote, but Worth had said in past meetings he was against the "opt-out" policy. He said parents should have ultimate control of whom their child speaks with at school.

This year, Gov. George Allen and Republican state legislators tried unsuccessfully to mandate an "opt-in" policy, under which children would have to bring a parental permission slip to see a counselor.

The General Assembly rejected that proposal, but did pass a compromise resolution giving each local school system a July 1 deadline to choose either policy.

The Radford and Giles County school boards already have agreed to keep the "opt-out" policy.

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