ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 14, 1997 TAG: 9703140063
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: FINCASTLE
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM THE ROANOKE TIMES
The School Board presented its original budget, which totals more than $28 million, to the budget committee of the Board of Supervisors last week, but the supervisors told them they would have to cut $2.1 million from it.
The School Board had to reduce its 1996-97 request by $1.4 million.
"We played hardball last year, and ... we took a blood bath," said school board member Jim Ruhland, "but I'm healed and ready to do it again."
That tickled the slew of parents, teachers and bus drivers who showed up and urged the board to go with its original plan.
"What I'm asking you to do is take the version that's not so good, and that's putting it politely, and throw it out the window," said Bill Critcher of the Eagle Rock Elementary School PTA.
The version adopted includes 7 percent salary raises for teachers, money for six new teachers and increased funding for school nurses and custodians.
The county's bus drivers, who nearly walked off the job in the fall, also get some relief under the adopted budget. It includes Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance for drivers, as well as money for four more drivers and nine new buses to expand the number of routes and reduce the burden on existing drivers.
Parents from Colonial Elementary School also were pleased with the adopted budget, because it includes money for an assistant principal at the crowded school and for a water holding tank. The school's water pressure has been failing lately to the point that toilets sometimes cannot be flushed and students have to wait to get home to go to the bathroom.
The rejected budget would have cut teacher raises in half and wiped out concessions to the bus drivers and money for Colonial Elementary's assistant principal.
LENGTH: Short : 41 linesby CNB