THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 18, 1994 TAG: 9411170210
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Philip Walzer
LENGTH: Long : 114 lines
The School Board has directed Superintendent Sidney L. Faucette to prepare a list of elementary and middle schools whose attendance zones might be changed to reduce crowding.
``We have some elementary schools that have much larger class sizes than others,'' board member Robert W. Hall said Tuesday.
The School Board last year considered a large package of attendance zone changes for elementary and middle schools, partially to relieve crowding. The proposal was mostly abandoned, however, after public outcry.
Member Ulysses V. Spiva cautioned that the school system ought to allow more flexibility if it redraws attendance zones. ``If a parent comes to us and says, `My child has been moved three times (already),' we should listen to him. We ought to make some exceptions.'' Safe schools task force
The board approved forming a Safe Schools Task Force to review the administration's security measures.
``I think our schools are basically safe,'' said Chairman James R. Darden, who pushed for the committee. ``What we want is to be sure we have a program as strong as we think we have.''
A number of guns have been found at Beach schools this fall, raising concerns about safety.
Hall complained: ``Five years ago, we had the pre-eminent safe-schools plan in the state. In my opinion, it was dismantled piece by piece. Now it seems we are reinventing the wheel.
``We ought to re-examine what we did before and perhaps reinstitute some of the procedures we had.''
The panel will comprise a few dozen people, including members of the community, board members, teachers and police officials. Public comment time
The board decided to continue alternating the time to hear public comments at meetings between 3:30 p.m. one month and 5:30 p.m. the next. In a split 5-5 vote, the board failed to approve a measure to return the time to 3:30 for all meetings.
``I don't care which time we have it, but it ought to be the same every month,'' Hall said.
But Elsie M. Barnes, who pushed for the alternate times, disagreed. ``I felt is was important to give the public the opportunity to address the board at different times . . . .We should provide some flexibility for those who get off (work) early and those who get off late.'' TQM coordinator
The board approved hiring Deborah J. Gentry as its total quality/industry standards coordinator. Gentry, who will be paid more than $50,000, will help lead seminars in Total Quality Management.
Spiva was the lone dissenter, saying the job was unnecessary. ``I think we're wasting money,'' he said after the meeting. ``We're spending $56,000 for somebody to coordinate something. One or two training workshops will tell them all they need to know about TQM. We need to put the money out there in the schools.''
Faucette, however, said in an interview: ``It's good for the system to train people in (total) quality programs. It also has created great partnerships out there with private businesses.''
Gentry now is director of training and development for North Carolina State University. She succeeds Linda Banis, who resigned because she is moving out of the area. More money concerns
Other money matter also concerned board members.
Reviewing interim budget statements, Tim Jackson asked administrators to prepare an explanation of why they spent $25,000 for the law firm of Hazel & Thomas last month.
Others wondered why the information packets for the meeting including a 130-page draft of the School Profiles package. The profiles, which list statistics for each of the city's 83 schools, are still missing a few pieces of data.
``How many pages of that will ultimately be discarded in the way of the finished product?'' Hall asked. Guidance time
School administrators said they plan to request money in next year's budget to add a clerical worker in each middle and high school to free up guidance counselors from clerical duties.
Principals ``have relied for so long on guidance people to do some things for them,'' Faucette said.
An administration report discussed at the meeting showed that guidance counselors spend at least 12 percent of their time on ``non-guidance activities,'' such as compiling records and grade reports. Summer school Tuition
During the presentation of a report on summer school, member Susan L. Creamer questioned why the band course was the only ``summer enrichment program'' that didn't require tuition. Other courses, such as foreign languages or science, cost $25 to $100.
``I would like to review that decision again,'' Creamer said. ``It still seems unfair to me.'' Commonwealth College
The board agreed to allow Commonwealth College to stay at its Virginia Beach Boulevard site through Dec. 1. The school system last year signed a contract to buy the building occupied by Commonwealth for $1.75 million. It will be turned into the city's Adult Learning Center.
Commonwealth, which is moving to a new building, was to have vacated the site in early fall. Administrators said they have not yet determined the rent they will charge the vocational school. Budget hearing
The board scheduled a budget hearing at 3 p.m. Dec. 20 to hear public comments before drafting the 1995-96 budget. by CNB