THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 24, 1995 TAG: 9505240484
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BUXTON LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines
Dare County teachers have given a failing grade to a merit pay plan proposed in the 1995-97 school budget.
About 150 people, mostly residents of Hatteras Island and many of them teachers, turned out for the first in a series of hearings on the proposed 1995-97 county operating and education budgets.
The proposed budget includes a three-cent increase in real property taxes, with the revenue earmarked solely for education.
If the proposed budget is approved, real estate taxes in Dare County would increase from 37 to 40 cents per $100 in value. That means the owner of a $100,000 home would pay an additional $30 in taxes.
The school budget also includes a provision for a merit pay system to be implemented in the in the 1996-97 academic year. Also, the education plan provides for $750,000 annually over each of the next four years for technology.
But Mike Finnegan, a teacher at Cape Hatteras School and president of the Dare County chapter of the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE), said the merit proposal misses the mark.
Finnegan said Dare County schools are comparable to the state's top-rated system - Chapel Hill-Carrboro - in virtually every respect, except for teacher salaries and supplements.
``We believe that you are serious in wanting to award teachers on the basis of merit,'' said Finnegan. ``Teachers who have taught in the 16 systems that employ a merit system all say it is a failure, except for one used in Granville County. Across the country and across the state, a merit system is described as divisive and disruptive. Pay is awarded too subjectively.''
Granville County, Finnegan noted, is one of the state's lowest ranked school systems. ``That's not the kind of system we want to emulate.''
Finnegan's remarks drew a standing ovation from the crowd. Three commissioners - Vice Chairman Clarence Skinner, Shirley Hassell and Doug Langford - attended the hearing.
Dare County teachers currently can receive up to $2,000 in supplements. The Chapel Hill-Carrboro system pays slightly more than $10,000 in supplements.
Marta Langowski, Dare County's Teacher of the Year for 1994-95, said that teacher salaries are too low.
``My husband is a commercial fisherman,'' she said. ``If I were the sole breadwinner in our house, my children would qualify for a reduced lunch,'' she said. ``If a beginning teacher is the sole breadwinner, his or her children would qualify for a free lunch. We need a supplement increase to make us feel like we're a step above.''
Most speakers said they supported the idea of increased funding for schools, but some questioned the need for a tax increase.
``I don't make that much money,'' said Doug Price of Avon, who works with the state's ferry system. ``If I have to continue to pay higher taxes, I won't be able to stay here. Where will my heritage be then? Think about the little man for a change.''
Linda Gray of Avon asked if the tax increase was not somewhat premature, given that the county will go through a reevaluation of property in the next two years. She asked that the increase be put off until then, and subjected to a countywide referendum.
Ken Koenig, a former representative of the Sperry Corp. and now an Avon resident, said that the cost of software alone for the technological upgrade is ``incredible.'' He said in some areas it appeared that there are instances of double billing.
But the majority of speakers at the hearing supported the additional funding.
Tom Hranicka of Avon asked the commission to look into other means of funding.
``I'm 100 percent for the schools,'' he said. ``I think we have the best school system in the country. But I think we need to look into the funding for it. If the funding has to come from taxes, fine. But we should look at other ways.''
Michael Cowal, a teacher at Cape Hatteras, said the increase was important to the future of Dare County's children. He was also critical of a radio advertisement urging county residents to turn out against the tax.
``What do we do in life but earn stuff to leave to our children?,'' he said. ``I want our money to go to build a state-of-the-art system. We have to stand firm and not listen to a stupid radio advertisement. It should be more about children and less about politics.''
Ward Barnett of Frisco said the debate over the education budget goes beyond politics.
Barnett said he was reticent to speak. But in his heart, he heard voices urging him to step forward.
``I heard my grandchildren saying, `Help us.' I heard my nephews saying `Uncle Ward, help us.' And I heard their friends saying Mr. Barnett help us.' I don't want them to be like I am, 60 years old and not able to fix a VCR. I think my grandchildren and great-grandchildren deserve the best. If you have to get it from me, if you have to get it from the working man, somewhere, somehow, find that money.''
Two more budget hearings are scheduled next month at the Thomas A. Baum center in Kill Devil Hills, and at the commissioner's meeting room in Manteo.
KEYWORDS: BUDGET DARE COUNTY SCHOOLS by CNB