ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 8, 1997 TAG: 9703100038
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER THE ROANOKE TIMES
Esther Cirasunda says educators will ask for referendum after the city decides whether or not to modify the ward system.
Roanoke's teachers want the city to switch to an elected School Board because they think it would be more responsive to their concerns, according to the president of the Roanoke Education Association.
But the teachers won't press for a referendum on a change until the city makes a decision on a modified ward system, Esther Cirasunda said.
A panel that was appointed last year by City Council is developing a modified ward plan - a mix of district and at-large members - for choosing council members that could be put to voters.
If such a plan is approved, some School Board members also would be elected by districts.
Cirasunda said Friday that teachers decided to take a formal stand in support of an elected board after a recent workshop on the issue.
A straw poll last fall showed that teachers favored a change, but they had held off taking a position.
Two years ago, teachers did not support a petition drive for an elected board, but she said sentiment has changed during the past year.
"Most other cities and counties have already made the change to elected boards and we feel this is the way of the future," she said.
Roanoke and Salem are the only localities in the region that have kept the appointive system for choosing board members.
Roanoke teachers have been upset with several actions by the School Board during recent months. They were angered by the board's decision to overturn, for the first time, a grievance panel's finding in favor of a teacher.
Teachers also contend that the board broke its promise to provide a 6 percent pay raise for them in the next school year. Board members said they never pledged a fixed percentage and promised only to raise salaries to the national average by the 1998-99 school year.
School officials said the 4.1 percent average raise for teachers next year will keep the city on track to reach the national average on schedule.
Superintendent Wayne Harris said this week that the board will need to approve a 4.9 percent raise for teachers for 1998-99 to reach the national average.
But Cirasunda said school officials won't know until the fall of 1998 the percentage increase that will be needed to reach the national average.
Richard Kelley, assistant superintendent for operations, said the 4.9 percent projection is based on the assumption that the national average will increase by 4 percent in each of the next two years.
If the national average rises by more than 4 percent, the increase for Roanoke teachers could be adjusted to ensure that their salaries reach the national average, Kelley said.
Teachers also are upset with the board's decision not to reduce health insurance premiums for school employees because claims were lower than projected during the past year.
Because of favorable claims, the school division's share of health insurance premiums will be reduced by $45 a month for each employee next year. But the employee's share will remain the same.
Cirasunda said teachers think the board should have lowered the employee's cost. "It would have been a nice benefit because some employees' premiums increased by almost that amount this year."
The employee's cost for family health coverage rose by $42.50 a month this year, she said. "We have made it clear to the board that we're concerned about the cost of health insurance and this would have been one way to help."
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