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

DATE: Sunday, March 19, 1995                 TAG: 9503170183
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER       PAGE: 18   EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Education 
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   45 lines

BATEMAN'S BUDGET WINS OK FROM SCHOOL BOARD

The School Board members gave a unanimous stamp of approval Monday night to Superintendent C. Fred Bateman's proposed 1995-96 budget.

The spending plan, the retiring superintendent's last, calls for nearly $174.5 million next year, including about $81.5 million in city money. The rest would come from the state and federal governments.

The budget now must go to City Council for approval.

The total budget figure the board approved is slightly higher than the amount Bateman and his staff had proposed when the plan was unveiled last month. That's because state money will be $204,936 higher than expected, Deputy Superintendent W. Randolph Nichols said this week.

Most of that state money is earmarked for specific programs. Only about $17,000 would be available for the board to spend as it chooses, Nichols said.

One board member, Mary Korving, suggested using the money to reduce the city's share of the school budget.

``I know that we would love to spend that money somewhere,'' Korving said. But consideration should be given to saving the cash, she said.

Other board members, however, supported putting the money into a contingency fund, to be used later for technology, an additional school security guard or emergency needs that could crop up unexpectedly.

``It's such a small amount in the budget,'' said board member James M. Reeves. School officials instead could work to generate an even larger surplus at the end of next budget year, which by law would be returned to the city, he said.

Representatives from the city teachers association lobbied unsuccessfully Monday night for the board to boost salaries higher than what Bateman had proposed. Bateman's budget includes a 2.25 percent raise for all employees. The association wanted 5 percent.

KEYWORDS: CHESAPEAKE SCHOOL BUDGET

by CNB