ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 28, 1997 TAG: 9703280098
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER THE ROANOKE TIMES
In deciding what to include, the Roanoke County School Board made pay raises its priority.
The Roanoke County School Board preserved pay raises averaging 3.2 percent for teachers and other school employees next year by rejecting $5 million in budget requests for dozens of items including more instructional materials, teachers, and equipment.
Faced with a choice between salaries and more money for many other school operations,
The board approved additional money in some categories, but more than half of the budget increase is earmarked for raises and retirement costs.
On 4 -1 vote Thursday night, the board approved a budget of nearly $84 million, up 5 percent over this year's.
Board member Thomas Leggette dissented because he wanted the board to consider limiting the size of the pay increase for school administrators and other employees making more than $40,000.
Without a limit, employees with higher salaries would receive bigger raises, he said. A 3 percent increase for someone making $30,000 would be less than $1,000, but it would be $2,700 for an employee making $90,000, Leggette said.
Jerry Hardy, director of budget and data management for the schools, said setting a cap on the size of raises would wreck the pay scale.
"We did that once, and it took us several years to get the scale straightened out," Hardy said. "Any time you put a cap on it, the scale has to be reworked."
In another matter, the board voted to "approve conceptually" a report by a residents' committee that recommends $120 million in improvements at all schools over the next 10 years .
The first phase, during the next five years, would cost $40 million for five projects including a new high school in South Roanoke County.
The committee also has recommended that the county spend an additional $4 million to $5 million immediately on roof repairs, science lab improvements and other items.
"It is imperative that we take action to show the committee and the community that we endorse the report in concept," said board member Jerry Canada. "I think phase one is something we should be able to agree on quickly."
Chairman Michael Stovall said the county would appoint a committee to prepare a plan for implementing the first phase. The panel will include the chairmen and vice chairmen of the Board of Supervisors and School Board, County Administrator Elmer Hodge, school Superintendent Deanna Gordon and representatives from the residents' study committee.
Even as it was endorsing the schools improvement report, its the committee's redistricting recommendations for next year.
The committee proposed 40 pupils be shifted from Cave Spring to Back Creek Elementary this fall to prevent future overcrowding.
School officials said this would require hiring two teachers and increase transportation costs, but wouldn't achieve anything next year because Cave Spring is not cramped for space.
School officials said that because of the distribution of childrenamong grades and class sizes, the redistricting would not reduce the number of teachers at Cave Spring, while two more teachers would be needed at Back Creek.
"It's not achieving what the committee had in mind," Leggette said. School officials said they might consider redistricting at Cave Spring Elementary in the future.
As part of the budget approval, the board increased the price of school meals for next year. The cost of lunch for elementary children will be raised from $1 to $1.10, and for middle and high school students from $1.10 to $1.25. The breakfast price for all students will increase from 60 to 75 cents.
The school budget requests totaled more than $9 million for next year, but school revenues are projected to increase by only about $4 million.
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