ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, March 12, 1997 TAG: 9703120081
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER THE ROANOKE TIMES
High school classes with only five or six students, such as fifth-year foreign language classes, may be dropped.
Roanoke County teachers and other school employees will receive pay raises averaging 3.2 percent next year, but more than $5 million in other school budget requests will have to be trimmed.
County officials, who indicated earlier they would increase local funding for schools by $3.3 million next year, said Tuesday night that's all the additional money they can provide.
Afterward, School Board Chairman Michael Stovall said the board would preserve the proposed pay raises and reduce other budget requests to make up the $5-million-plus shortfall.
"We realize times are tight, and we can't get what we would like to have," Stovall said. "The pay raises are safe, and we'll have to make reductions in nonsalary items."
These include requests for more money for utilities, materials, equipment, building maintenance, school buses, textbooks, furniture and other operational items.
Bob Johnson, chairman of the county Board of Supervisors, said parents and other residents should complain to state and federal legislators if they are upset with the unfunded requests.
Federal funds will increase by only $7,088 and state funds by about $1 million next year. And most of the additional state money must be spent on mandated items, he said.
"Maybe people need to call [House Majority Leader] Del. [Richard] Cranwell [D-Vinton] and the federal government if they're upset,'' said Johnson, noting that he received some phone calls after news stories appeared about the budget shortfall.
Johnson said the county makes an extraordinary effort to fund schools. The county ranks 65th in financial resources among Virginia's counties and cities but 12th in financial support in relation to its wealth, he said.
The School Board met with the supervisors to review the school budget and outline the need for more money.
Roanoke's teachers are to receive pay raises averaging 4.1 percent next year.
Supervisor Lee Eddy asked school officials if the smaller raises for county teachers would cause morale and hiring problems.
Superintendent Deanna Gordon said there would be no problem in recruiting and hiring teachers because the county receives plenty of applications. But she said she wasn't sure about teachers' morale.
Judy Deyerle, a teacher and former president of the Roanoke County Education Association, said county teachers are "beginning to be very tired of having everyone above us."
Salaries for Salem teachers are higher than the county's. Salaries for some Roanoke teachers are higher than the county's, depending on years of experience.
Johnson said he doesn't want teachers' raises to be reduced, and he joined several supervisors in urging school officials to try to reduce costs in vehicle maintenance, garage operations and other areas.
Noting that the county needs extensive school building improvements, the supervisors said school officials ought to try to reduce costs to free up funds to repay bonds for school renovations.
A residents' committee will make recommendations next week on school improvements that could top $100 million.
Gordon said she is looking into the possibility of reducing course offerings at the high schools as a way to free up money for other items, such as reducing the size of kindergarten and first grade classes.
Gordon said it might be feasible, for example, to eliminate fifth-year foreign language courses with only five or six students.
Supervisor Harry Nickens noted that the proposed school budget includes a $50,000 increase in legal fees. The School Board has hired outside attorneys to supplement an assistant county attorney assigned to the board.
Gordon said the schools need additional legal services because of the constant threat of litigation and the need for legal advice.
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