THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 12, 1995 TAG: 9501100127
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 151 lines
FACING PROPOSED budget cuts and a raft of possible changes in the way they deliver education, Norfolk public school officials are eying this year's legislative session with more concern than usual.
Under Republican Gov. George Allen's proposed budget ax, the district would be cut more than $1.3 million in state aid.
Targeted for elimination are funds now used for dropout prevention, school health programs, building maintenance, English as a second language and a new college-prep program called AVID that is aimed at getting more females and minorities into college.
Then there is proposed legislation that Norfolk officials fear will siphon dollars from existing schools, such as the governor's idea for publicly funded ``charter'' schools.
With a more conservative climate in the General Assembly, school officials also worry that past efforts in the legislature to approve tuition tax credits or vouchers for parents who want to send their kids to private schools may find favor.
For Superintendent Roy D. Nichols Jr., the governor's plan to ax funds currently used by Norfolk for at-risk students symbolizes the battle ahead. Norfolk would lose more than a half-million dollars in dropout prevention funds, which in the past decade have helped Norfolk lower its dropout rate from more than 15 percent to just over 6 percent.
It doesn't make sense for Allen to push for more prison construction while cutting money for kids most at risk of ending up in jail without an education, Nichols said.
``On the one hand, he (Allen) is criticizing us for not doing enough with these disadvantaged students, but on the other hand he's taking away the very resources we need to do it,'' Nichols said.
At a recent meeting with members of Norfolk's state delegation, the School Board and PTA representatives lobbied for relief.
While pledging support of education, the legislators warned that they'll face a tough fight to restore cuts, let alone find more money. Allen's plan to reduce taxes and government has popular support, they said.
Of particular concern to school officials are capital construction and building maintenance needs. The average age of school buildings in Norfolk is 42 years, School Board Chairman Ulysses Turner said. The Norfolk Council of PTAs' legislative chairwoman, Amy Rhodes, underscored that: Schools attended by her children were built in 1917 and 1922.
The district would lose $367,217 in maintenance funds under Allen's budget plan.
In-school nursing care is another area that would suffer with the loss of $150,000 now used in part to place nurses at schools. Even with the money, the system remains short of its goal of having a nurse in every school: At some schools, Nichols said, secretaries are responsible for dispensing medication to as many as 150 students a day.
School officials are touting riverboat gambling legislation as a potential source of new revenue for K-12 programs. Such a funding alternative may find favor this year.
``With all the tax cuts and prison construction, they've got to find some money somewhere,'' schools spokesman George Raiss said.
Along with the cuts, Allen's budget would provide some new money, even though it would not cover the losses. With his proposal to roll all at-risk money into a no-strings block grant, Allen would provide about $293,000 more than last year for ``at-risk'' students. There's also about $1.5 million for at-risk 4-year-olds, but with a catch: Norfolk would have to put up matching funds to get it, school officials said. ILLUSTRATION: Graphics
NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS' LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
A brief desription of Norfolk public schools' 1995 legislative
program, submitted last week to hometown state legislators.
Funding issues: Urges an increase in funding for education,
particularly to reduce class sizes in grades K-3, and strongly
opposes ``any possible move to reduce K-12 funding in order to
provide money for other state initiatives.''
Riverboat gaming: Endorses the concept if a portion of the
revenue generated, a suggested 25 percent, is earmarked for K-12
education.
Binding arbitration: Opposes any effort to take away the power
that school boards now have to resolve personnel disputes. ``The
school board is responsible for hiring,'' Turner said, ``and we
don't believe that staff nor any other entity should decide the fate
of our employees.''
Charter schools: Opposes the concept, even though is supportive
``for as much educational choice as possible for students and their
parents within a particular school system.'' If legislation allowing
charter schools is passed, Norfolk officials call for a committee to
be appointed to ``fully study'' the issue and report back to the
1996 General Assembly before the idea is implemented.
Vouchers/tax credits: Opposes, arguing that diverting public
money to private schools would ``only exacerbate'' funding for
public schools.
Student arrest: Supports legislation requiring that police notify
school superintendents whenever a student is arrested and charged
with a felony crime and that schools be given authority to petition
courts for a student's removal from school.
Parental responsibility: Supports authorization for local school
boards to file court petitions, ``when deemed necessary,'' to obtain
parental cooperation in dealing with problem students.
Look-alike weapons: Supports legislation banning the sale of
look-alike weapons to minors. The ban would ``greatly reduce
incidents of BB guns and pellet guns on school grounds and the
possible trouble generated by their presence.''
School health care: Opposes legislation mandating the
qualifications or the number of health-care providers for school
systems.
Triennial census: Opposes any legislation that changes the
current method that school systems use to conduct their census.
Public school calendar: Supports legislation allowing local
school boards to set their own calendar. The current law requiring
schools to start after Labor Day ``has been detrimental to orderly
school operations.'' Norfolk school officials favor starting the
week before Labor Day.
Student transportation: Opposes legislation requiring that public
schools transport private and parochial school students at cost.
Elementary guidance and counseling: Strongly opposes any move to
alter the way students participate in this program. The Allen
administration wants to require written parental permission for kids
to receive non-academic counseling.
Family life education: Strongly opposes legislation to eliminate
the state mandate that schools offer this sex-education program.
Also opposes Allen's proposal to require parental permission for
students to participate.
NORFOLK DELEGATION
Members of the Norfolk legislative delegation, all Democrats,
are:
Sen. Stanley C. Walker
Richmond: 786-7280
Norfolk: 623-6245
Sen. Yvonne B. Miller
Richmond: 786-7186
Norfolk: 683-8702
House Speaker Thomas W. Moss Jr.
Richmond: 786-6880
Norfolk: 623-5345
Del. Howard Copeland
Richmond: 786-6710
Norfolk: 466-5000
Del. George H. Heilig Jr.
Richmond: 786-7302
Norfolk: 461-2500
Del. Jerrauld C. Jones
Richmond: 786-7188
Norfolk: 627-6568
Del. William P. Robinson Jr.
Richmond: 786-7158
Norfolk: 622-4770
by CNB