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

DATE: Wednesday, September 6, 1995           TAG: 9509060004
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A10  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   38 lines

FOR ACCOUNTABILITY IN BEACH SCHOOLS

Throughout the 1994 School Board campaign, we stressed the need for fundamental reforms to restore both financial and instructional accountability to Virginia Beach public schools.

Such reforms would have involved among other things a total restructure of the school budget format and process. The leadership of the Virginia Beach Education Association found these proposals frightening and launched a campaign against us with funding furnished by teachers'-union affiliates in 17 states. Unfortunately, the voters fell for the union's propaganda.

While we regret the adverse consequences to the city's students and taxpayers, recent announcement of further declines in test scores (``Literacy Passport Test pass rate declines 6.6 percent in Virginia Beach,'' Beacon, Aug. 11) and apparent financial malfeasance (``Beach schools $7 million in debt,'' MetroNews, Aug. 26) have validated our calls for fundamental reforms. We hope the voting public will not be fooled by the VBEA's campaign scare tactics in future elections.

EDWARD G. KREYLING JR.

HARRISON G. DUDLEY SR.

SONJA M. WATTS

MICHAEL B. HAMAR

I. JEANETTE HOGGARD

Virginia Beach, Aug. 30, 1995

Editor's note: The writers of this letter were all candidates for School Board in the May 1994 elections. Messrs. Kreyling and Hamar are members of the City Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia Beach. by CNB