THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Saturday, January 21, 1995             TAG: 9501210199
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 
SOURCE: BY BETTY MITCHELL GRAY, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   39 lines

GENERAL ASSEMBLY MAY VOTE OUT ELECTION OF STATE SCHOOL OFFICIAL AND STATE IMPROVEMENT PLAN

When the General Assembly convenes Wednesday, the election of the superintendent of public instruction and a 10-year-old state plan for improving public schools may be headed for the history books.

A majority of incoming legislators support making the superintendent's job an appointed position and discontinuing the Basic Education Plan in favor of school construction and technology needs.

Of those responding to an Associated Press survey of incoming legislators, only 19 percent of senators and 28 percent of House members said the state should keep the superintendent of public instruction as an elected position.

Most eastern North Carolina legislators generally agreed that having the governor or the state Board of Education appoint the state school superintendent would bring some order and accountability to the state's public school system.

``Shifting the authority for education back to the state Board of Education North Carolina,'' said Senate leader Marc Basnight, D-Dare County.

Basnight said in a news conference last week that while the state waits for voters to approve a constitutional change in the superintendent's selection, the state should begin transferring more authority from the Department of Public Instruction to the state school board.

Rep. Carolyn B. Russell, a Wayne County Republican serving on the House GOP leadership transition team, agreed.

``Right now, the campaign for state superintendent is just a popularity contest,'' she said. ``I'd much rather see the state board or the governor appoint that person . . . so the buck will stop somewhere.'' by CNB