THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 5, 1995 TAG: 9501050446
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Long : 110 lines
Joining forces with near unanimity, the Norfolk and Portsmouth school boards and PTA members pleaded with hometown state legislators Wednesday to protect them from looming budget cuts and what many school officials view as an assault on public education.
Thomas Benn III, chairman of the Portsmouth board, described the fight facing local school districts as a ``mortal battle for scant resources.''
Lawmakers, who convene next week for the 1995 session, acknowledged a rough road ahead and were reluctant to make promises at Wednesday's meeting.
``Make no mistake - we've got our work cut for us,'' Del. Jerrauld C. Jones, D-Norfolk, said.
``It's going to be a difficult session. How difficult remains to be seen,'' said House Speaker Thomas Moss, D-Norfolk.
The source of much of the school boards' concern is spending cuts proposed by Republican Gov. George F. Allen. Under Allen's budget plan, Norfolk would lose about $1.3 million and Portsmouth more than $500,000. Most of cuts, including funds for dropout prevention and school health programs, would hurt children who need help the most, school officials said.
``The governor gives us a little bit, but he takes away a lot more,'' Portsmouth Superintendent Richard D. Trumble said.
But besides money, school officials said they are worried about the fundamental changes Allen wants to make in the delivery of education.
Norfolk schools Superintendent Roy D. Nichols said Allen's push for alternative public ``charter'' schools ``scares me to death.''
``I believe it will create enclaves of the elite funded by public money,'' Nichols said of Allen's plan, which would allow parents, teachers or other individuals to obtain ``charters'' to operate schools using public funds.
Norfolk and Portsmouth officials also said they oppose the Allen administration's efforts to gut family life education and school guidance counseling.
The governor wants to eliminate the state mandate that requires family life, Virginia's version of sex education, and make it a local option. In addition, parents would have to give written consent before their children could participate in family life or receive guidance counseling for anything other than academics.
Nichols said that the ``very kids who need it the most'' would be the ones whose parents would neglect to sign their permission for the activities.
Officials from both school districts lauded the regional cooperation involved in the budget fight and said they hope it foreshadows future efforts. The only area of disagreement evident between Norfolk and Portsmouth dealt with charter schools.
Portsmouth's Trumble said the charter school concept would create more choice for parents. Acknowledging that the concerns voiced by Nichols and other opponents are not ``whimsy,'' Trumble said safeguards would need to be built in to ensure that such schools ``accept everyone who shows up.''
Norfolk officials went on record supporting riverboat gambling legislation, as long as a portion of the state revenue generated was funneled to public schools.
``With military downsizing and loss of jobs and revenue, we believe riverboat gambling will help revive our economy and help fully fund education for our youth,'' Norfolk School Board Chairman Ulysses Turner said.
Turner also called on the hometown delegation to ``help find an agreeable solution'' on school prayer.
School officials requested more money to fund alternative school programs for disruptive kids. Turner said Norfolk had space last year for only one-third of the approximately 900 students expelled or placed on long-term suspension.
Moss said that Allen seems to be pushing ``more of a national agenda than a state agenda.'' He criticized the governor for simultaneously wanting to cut taxes by $2 billion and outlining more than $2 billion in new prison construction over the next five years.
But fighting to restore budget cuts will be tough politically if it means having to vote against Allen's tax-cut proposal, Moss said.
``Nobody wins too many elections voting against a tax decrease,'' he said.
Sen. Frederick M. Quayle, R-Portsmouth, the only local GOP delegation member, tried to ease the worries.
``I think we will be able to find some solutions to the problems we're looking at tonight,'' he said. ``I don't think they'll be as severe as you might think.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
BILLS TO WATCH
Norfolk and Portsmouth school board members met Wednesday with
hometown state legislators to present their 1995 legislative wish
list. Here is a sampling of legislation that the two school
districts support or oppose.
NORFOLK
Supports legislation that would:
Permit riverboat gambling, as long as a portion of the state
revenue generated - a suggested 25 percent - is earmarked for public
education in grades K-12.
Require police to notify school superintendents of the felony
arrest of any student and allow superintendents to petition courts
to remove a student from school.
Opposes legislation that would:
Allow opening of alternative public ``charter'' schools.
Award vouchers or tax credits to parents whose children attend
private schools.
PORTSMOUTH
Supports legislation that would:
Require fingerprinting and criminal checks of potential
employees.
Ban smoking in public schools and on school property.
Opposes legislation that would:
Provide private-school vouchers.
Require parental consent before school guidance counselors or
trained school officials could provide counseling for children.
by CNB