ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Friday, April 18, 1997                 TAG: 9704180091
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: B-3  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: FINCASTLE
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM THE ROANOKE TIMES

PARENTS SEEK FUNDS FOR SCHOOLS BOTETOURT SUPERVISORS URGED TO PONY UP

The School Board has asked for a 34.5percent local funding increase; the Board of Supervisors says 11 percent is more like it.

Several dozen parents showed up at Botetourt County's budget hearing Thursday night and told the supervisors to dip into their multimillion-dollar reserves and give the School Board the money it says it needs.

"Take that big piggy bank that you have and shake it a little bit more," Michele Kernan told the supervisors. "You all are grown-ups. You won't get spanked."

Botetourt Education Association President Lois Switzer praised the board's success in industrial development and asked members to "develop an educational vision that will rival your economic development vision."

The School Board asked for a 34.5percent local funding increase, which equals more than $3 million, but the supervisors say the schools will have to make do with an 11percent increase.

The shortfall means a reduction in employee raises and elimination of a plan to give bus drivers the same health insurance other school employees get, the School Board said.

But many parents were most concerned that the School Board says it can't buy any new buses for next year.

JoAnne Shelton told the supervisors her children's bus breaks down once a month.

Janet Harris said Troutville Elementary School is visible from her home, but her children go on a 23-mile ride every morning to get there. More buses and routes could shorten that ride, she said.

Several people alluded to a reported $14 million to $18 million county fund surplus that they said ought to be used to fund the school system.

But County Administrator Jerry Burgess said that by the time the next audit is done, the general fund balance will be down to $8million. He said $5 million of it will be needed to balance next year's budget.

The supervisors also anounced a personal property tax increase of 75 cents per $100 to counter a change in the way vehicle values are assessed. The new assessment method dropped values by an average of about 20 percent.

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