THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 23, 1994 TAG: 9410210328
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Elizabeth Thiel
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines
ACTION TABLED
The School Board decided to postpone action on a set of policies for drug and alcohol testing of school bus drivers and other employees who drive school vehicles.
Some board members thought the policies, drafted by staff members and attorneys and based on federal guidelines, were too lenient. The policies state, for example, that the maximum concentration of alcohol employees would be allowed to have in their blood systems when reporting for work would be
Some board members thought that was too high.
Superintendent Sidney L. Faucette said he planned to draft some stricter regulations to accompany the policies. Board members asked him to have the whole package ready by their November meeting.
CONTRACT AWARDED
Hargrove, Brockwell & Associates Ltd., a Virginia Beach architectural firm, this week won a contract to be on standby if the school system requires emergency architectural work.
The contract is good for a year, but it is renewable for up to three years. The contract is for a maximum of $150,000 annually, not to exceed $450,000 over the three years.
The award, granted 10-0 with no discussion by the School Board Tuesday night, follows reports that one board member, who sat on a committee that gave the nod to Hargrove, Brockwell & Associates for the contract, had accepted a $200 campaign contribution from the firm over the summer.
Board member Charles W. Vincent has since been indicted for soliciting contributions from firms that appeared before the architecture review committee seeking work from the School Board. Hargrove, Brockwell & Associates was not among those firms listed in the indictment. Vincent has resigned from the committee, but remains on the board.
WINDOW COULD BE CLOSED
Superintendent Sidney L. Faucette has proposed eliminating a three-month window for children who do not meet the state's age deadline for kindergarten admission. The state limits kindergarten to children who turn 5 on or before Sept. 30 of the school year.
But in Virginia Beach, parents whose children turn 5 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 can have their children tested for admission. If the children qualify, parents can pay a little more than $1,800 in tuition for them to attend kindergarten in city schools.
This year, 38 kindergartners entered this way.
Faucette said he is proposing the change because the school system's policy of allowing exceptions contradicts state regulations.
SOME SCHOOLS INTERESTED IN UNIFORMS
A proposal by School Board member Tim Jackson that students wear uniforms to school has drawn some interest. Principals of 11 elementary schools, responding to a survey of principals citywide, said they believed their school planning councils would consider uniforms for students.
The 11 schools were Alanton, Bayside, Malibu, Newtown Road, North Landing, Pembroke, Rosemont Forest, Seatack, Strawbridge, Thalia and Windsor Woods elementaries.
Jackson and school staff members now plan to hammer out some more details and ask the School Board as early as next month to request proposals from schools interested in testing the program.
PARENTS SATISFIED
City parents report being generally satisfied with their children's schools, a new survey shows.
The survey, one of two conducted annually to gauge parents' attitudes about schools and employees, was mailed last spring.
School officials said errors in mailing the 40,000 surveys produced an unexpectedly low 32 percent response rate. Still, the results offer some valuable information.
More than 90 percent of those responding reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their children's schools. At least 85 percent reported being generally satisfied with the opportunities their schools provide for parental involvement.
About 15 percent of parents reported being generally dissatisfied with the extent to which schools use up-to-date equipment for instruction; 23 percent reported being dissatisfied with class size. by CNB