THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 17, 1996 TAG: 9601160108
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Education
SOURCE: BY LINDA MCNATT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ISLE OF WIGHT LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
School security and student safety was a major concern at a public hearing on the proposed county schools' 1996-97 budget last week.
Probably because of the snow and ice in Isle of Wight County, however, the only people who showed up were School Board members and several admini-strators.
Take Smithfield High Principal Don Alvey, for example. He had a list of 40 items for which he thought money should be included. At the top of that list were more lights in the parking lot, both in front and in back of the school; video cameras with television monitors outside; and anything to enforce discipline and safety at the high school.
Pam Edwards, representing the Windsor District on the School Board, said she wanted to see every student issued some kind of photo identification card.
And board member Herb DeGroft, representing the Hardy District, went even further. He would like to see the board budget money to buy a drug-sniffing dog.
``Drugs are not going away,'' DeGroft said. ``They are working on this country from within. I think we should look into purchasing a drug-detection dog and training a handler. It's my position we should be doing random personal drug checks in the schools much more fre-quently.''
Unlike previous years, there were no citizens at the public hearing to ask for more teachers, desks and equipment - although they will have another opportunity at the board's Feb. 15 meeting. (Please see the box inset within this story.) But board members representing each district had their lists of wishes ready.
``I'd like to see assistant basketball coaches at Smithfield High,'' said James Brown, of the Smithfield District. ``I'd like to take a look at the public address system, not just on the athletic field there but in the gymnasium as well. More security lights are needed, and I do endorse a video camera.''
Brown also said more computers are needed at Smithfield Middle, as well as additional training for teachers to make them more computer literate. Also, equipment to take care of the new floors and carpets installed in the recently renovated school.
Windsor Elementary, Edwards said, needs more than equipment. She called the school ``the most deplorable in Isle of Wight,'' with problems that paint and carpet can't solve.
``It is the only school in the county that still has the old-fashioned desks. And they have playground equipment that is cute from the highway, but not usable,'' Edwards said.
``We've got a real problem because everything you're mentioning here is nice,'' board Chairman Richard Peerey said. ``But we've also got $1.2 million in `have to's' that won't go away.''
Peerey listed $400,000 to hook up four schools to regional sewage lines, $450,000 to give school employees a 2.5 percent raise, $320,000 for new school buses needed for additional students expected in the 1996-97 school year and teachers to instruct those students.
``All of these other things are nice,'' Peerey said. ``But this is my wish list. I hope we can afford what we have to do.''
Board members, Peerey included, agreed that tighter security in the schools is important.
But after the meeting, Alvey said: ``We're not at the point that we need security guards in the hallways of every school. I hope we never get to that point. But the safety of the students is a primary concern, inside the schools as well as outside. Certainly, we've got to consider that.'' ILLUSTRATION: File photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
Smithfield High Principal Don Alvey is concerned about safety and
security.
THE NEXT STEP
Last week's public hearing was the first meeting in the
budget-planning process for the upcoming school year.
Good news for people who couldn't make the hearing last week: The
School Board has planned a work session on the budget to be held
before the regularly scheduled board meeting in February.
That meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, in the Board
of Supervisors meeting room at the Isle of Wight Courthouse. The
budget work session is scheduled for 6 p.m., and it is open to the
public.
by CNB