ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, April 11, 1997 TAG: 9704110089
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER THE ROANOKE TIMES
The tuition increase will be gradual and should be well below the per-pupil $3,200 local cost for schools.
Roanoke County will increase the tuition for students from other jurisdictions who attend county schools, but the fee is expected to be boosted gradually over several years.
School Board members said Thursday night they probably will set a maximum tuition that will be substantially below the $3,200 per-pupil local cost for schools.
Board member William Irvin has proposed a three-tier plan that calls for a $600 maximum on tuition for nonresident students who were enrolled before this year.
He has proposed a $1,000 limit for nonresident students who first enrolled in county schools this year and a $2,000 maximum for students who first enroll next year and in subsequent years.
But it would take six to eight years for students to reach the maximum tuition in each category under Irvin's plan.
Nonresidents who enrolled in county schools before this year are paying $100 a year, and those who first enrolled this year are paying $500.
Under Irvin's plan, nonresident students who are paying $100 now would pay $200 next year and $300 in 1998-99, with gradual increases each year until the $600 limit is reached in 2004.
Nonresidents paying $500 this year would pay $550 next year and $600 in 1998-99, with steady increases until the $1,000 maximum is reached in 2006.
Irvin's plan would require nonresidents who first enroll in county schools next year to pay $600, with gradual increases until the $2,000 limit is reached in 2002.
Irvin said his proposal would provide for a "smooth progression" in tuition increases for nonresidents now attending county schools, while recognizing the need for nonresidents to pay more of the costs for schools.
Chairman Michael Stovall said he generally likes Irvin's proposal. "I think we'll approve something close to this" soon, he said.
Board member Jerry Canada said he supports the general outline of Irvin's plan, too, but he thinks the $2,000 limit for nonresidents who first enroll next year should be lower.
Nearly 650 students from other jurisdictions attend county schools.
A residents' committee that recently completed a study of school building needs in the county recommended that the tuition for nonresidents be increased to cover the county's full local cost of education.
The county's per-pupil cost for schools is about $5,800 a year, with $2,600 coming from the state and $3,200 from the county.
The committee said the county should not subsidize the cost of educating students from other jurisdictions. It said the nonresidents also contributed to the overcrowding in some schools.
Some school officials think that many nonresident students would withdraw if the tuition is raised to cover all local costs.
If all nonresident students withdrew, the county could lose $1.7 million a year in state funds.
Superintendent Deanna Gordon said earlier that would require the elimination of 37 teaching positions. But that would be difficult because the nonresident students are distributed among dozens of classes and schools, she said.
The county's policy has been to admit nonresidents only in schools and classes with space without having to create more classes or hire more teachers. School administrators said this approach has been financially beneficial to the county because it has received $2,600 in state funds for each student and no additional personnel or expenses have been required.
But the residents' panel viewed the issue differently, saying that nonresident students contribute to overcrowding in middle and high schools, although there might be space for them in elementary schools when they first enroll in the county.
The committee recommended that county school officials contact surrounding localities to see if they would help pay the local costs for students from their jurisdiction who attend Roanoke County schools.
But schoool officials in these localities said they aren't interested in paying for students to attend Roanoke County schools. The largest number of nonresidents come from Bedford County and attend schools in the Vinton area.
Roanoke permits students from surrounding localities to attend its magnet schools without charging any tuition. Some students from Roanoke County attend Roanoke schools.
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