ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, November 17, 1996              TAG: 9611180003
SECTION: CURRENT                  PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 

COMMUNITY OBSERVER CORPS

MONTGOMERY COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD

PLUS

The School Board and the Board of Supervisors met together to discuss the capital improvement budget [for major expenses such as building repairs, renovations, etc]. The county schools have $100 million worth of buildings on 1.4 million square acres. The pavement alone covers 100 acres. The boards shared good ideas about publicizing improvements.

MINUS

The county schools have 30 major needs, such as roof repairs, but no capital improvement funds to deal with the problems.

MONITORING

The School Board is considering changes in high school requirements for diplomas that would set more rigorous curriculum standards.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

PLUS

The county has changed its budget process to allow agencies to negotiate proposed budget cuts before they are adopted by the Board of Supervisors.

MINUS

County supervisors failed to meet its deadline to hire an expert to tell them how much it would cost to implement both: (1) the recommendations from a study committee (FUSS) to build four new schools and (2) education initiatives from the schools' Project 2006 study, such as reduced class sizes.

MONITORING

The change of responsibility for soil/erosion sediment control from a county building inspector in the Planning Department to the county engineer.

The Community Observer Corps is a coalition of community organizations that monitors several of Montgomery County's elected and appointed boards each month. This month's report is by the League of Women Voters of Montgomery County

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