ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Wednesday, December 11, 1996           TAG: 9612130103
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: C-1  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER


HARRIS: 3 & INCREASE IN SALARY SCALE $87.5 MILLION BUDGET PROPOSED; IS UP 5.8 %

Superintendent Wayne Harris proposes a 3 percent increase in the salary scale for Roanoke teachers, a $10 increase in the daily pay for substitutes and salary boosts for other school employees in the next year.

About one out of five teachers will be eligible for so-called tier raises ranging from 2.5 percent to 19 percent, producing an average raise of 4.1 percent for teachers.

"This will keep us on track to raise teachers' salaries to the national average by 1998-99 and remain competitive with salaries in surrounding localities and other urban Virginia school districts," Harris said.

The city's average teacher salary is projected to be $43,281 by 1998-99.

But Esther Cirasunda, president of the Roanoke Education Association, said teachers are worried that if the average raise is only 4.1 percent, they won't reach the national average by 1998-99. Teachers were promised a 6 percent raise in each of the next two years, she said.

"Why should we believe that only 4 percent for 1997-98 will automatically lead to an 8 percent or better raise the following year?" she said.

If Harris and the School Board break their promise for next year she said, they will likely break it again in 1998-99.

In his preliminary budget for next year, Harris also proposes a 2 percent increase in the pay scale for principals and other school administrators. In addition, they would receive a 2.5 percent step raise.

Harris has recommended an average pay increase of 4.5 percent for school custodians, secretaries, cafeteria workers and other nonprofessional employees.

Harris outlined his proposed $87.5 million budget to the School Board Tuesday night. The spending plan is up $4.8 million, or 5.8 percent.

He presents his budget about three months before other superintendents in the region so he can hold public meetings and get residents' reaction before submitting a final plan to the board.

Three categories account for the budget increase:

* $1.45 million to retain the current level of services, including higher debt payments for the Breckinridge and Woodrow Wilson middle school renovations, higher health insurance costs for school employees, and up-front funding for cost-of-living increases in pensions for retired school employees.

* $2.74 million for salary increases for teachers, principals, administrators and other school employees. Workshops and training programs also would be provided for teachers to help students meet the state's new academic standards.

* $657,000 for planning periods for teachers at half of the city's elementary schools, more activity buses for after-school sports and other programs, two additional classes for 3-year-old children, and new textbooks and related materials to meet the new academic standards.

The city's daily pay for substitutes, now the lowest in the Roanoke Valley, would increase to $55. Roanoke County's rate is $50 and Salem's is $60. Roanoke school officials said they have found it difficult in recent years to attract enough substitutes, partly because of the low pay.

"This would make us competitive with surrounding school systems and should help us recruit more substitutes," Harris said.

While the average pay increase for principals and administrators would be larger than that of teachers next year, Harris said this would help reduce the disparity in salary raises during the past three years.

Raises for teachers have totaled 20.5 percent during those three years while the average pay for principals and administrators has increased by 16.8 percent, he said. Raises for nonprofessional employees have averaged 17.5 percent over the period.

"While the School Board and superintendent are committed to raising teachers' salaries to the national average, we have to be competitive in salaries for other employees, too," Harris said.

The latest available statistics show that Roanoke ranks 51st in the state in average salary for elementary school principals and 43rd for middle school principals. It ranked 20th out of 133 school systems in average teacher salary in 1994-95, the last year for which data is available.


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by CNB