ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 7, 1997 TAG: 9703070048
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By JOEL TURNER THE ROANOKE TIMES
Schools have asked for $89.1 million for next year; the county and state are providing more than before, but it's not enough.
Pay raises for teachers, or computer lab equipment, or school buses?
The Roanoke County School Board might have to choose among them - and dozens of other budget items, as well.
School officials need $5.3 million to balance the proposed $89.1 million school budget for next year.
County officials say they can provide an increase of nearly $3.3 million in local revenue for schools. The schools also expect an increase of $1.1 million in state funds.
But that is less than half the $9.2 million increase in budget requests.
Based on projected state and local revenues, the budget has a shortfall of about $5.3 million, said Jerry Hardy, director of budget and data management for the schools.
Unless the Board of Supervisors provides more money, school officials will have to trim the requests, Hardy said.
That could mean a smaller raise for school employees and less equipment, supplies and maintenance for schools.
The School Board will meet with the supervisors Tuesday to review the budget requests.
School officials have developed a budget that contains an average pay raise of 3.2 percent for county teachers and other school employees.
Roanoke teachers, whose salaries are comparable, will receive raises averaging 4.1 percent next year.
Hardy said the raises for all county school employees would cost about $2 million. The county is also proposing to increase its daily pay for substitute teachers to $56 from $50. Roanoke will raise its pay to $55.
County school administrators also have requested additional personnel, which would cost another $1.1 million. This includes four additional teachers for the increase in enrollment, four special education teachers, a technology instructor, school psychologist, occupational therapist and more custodians for additions at three schools.
The proposed budget includes a $2.8 million increase for utilities, materials, building maintenance, replacement of furniture and equipment and other operational costs.
Hardy said the budget also includes an increase of $500,000 to buy 10 new buses and $200,000 for textbooks.
School administrators have submitted dozens of other requests for smaller increases, ranging from three video cameras for buses to athletic trainers for the high schools.
The budget crunch comes as the county faces more than $100 million in school building needs.
A residents' committee has spent several months reviewing the needs of all 28 schools in the county and will make recommendations soon.
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