THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 8, 1996 TAG: 9603080629
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
As they patch together a budget for the 1996-97 school year, city school administrators face a peculiar dilemma: At a time they say money is desperately needed, they may have to turn down millions in cash that the state is offering.
The reason: They lack the classroom space.
Money is available to expand statewide initiatives started last year to reduce class size in kindergarten through third grade and to expand an early childhood program for 4-year-olds considered at risk because of economic and social factors.
School administrators said that there is a way to get the money but that it's undesirable - buy more of the metal portable classroom units. School Board members said they may have to make a trade-off: take criticism for adding portables to expand educational offerings.
``I find myself greatly frustrated that the state is offering us money and we're considering turning it away,'' board member Robert F. Williams said Wednesday night after a special meeting on the system's 1996-97 budget.
``I want to first take care of our students. If that means we have to increase the number of portable units, so be it.''
Other board members agreed.
``Our mission is to serve children,'' James Herndon said. ``We have a large number of children who are unsuccessful in school, and if these are programs to help remedy that, we need to do it.''
An estimated 5,600 students - about 16 percent of the district's 35,000 pupils - are housed in portable units. That's equal to about five midsized schools.
``We're looking at ways to create space,'' Superintendent Roy D. Nichols Jr. said. ``We will get every last early-childhood dollar we can get our hands on.''
Other school districts throughout South Hampton Roads share the classroom space problem. And, in addition, cash-strapped districts are struggling to come up with local matching funds needed to get the state money.
In Virginia Beach, struggling to overcome a projected $4.4 million budget shortfall this year, officials said Thursday that they expect to seek only about $1 million out of $2.7 million available for them to expand the program for 4-year-olds. A lack of matching funds and space are problems.
``Until we get everything else straightened out, we don't want to expand programs,'' Virginia Beach schools spokesman Joe Lowenthal said.
Last year, when Virginia launched the preschool program for 4-year-olds, Chesapeake refused more than $431,000 because of a space crunch, and may turn away more this year. Chesapeake officials rejected the money because they didn't want to buy more portable units, which have become a political liability in the fast-growing district.
Portsmouth officials hope to take advantage of all available state money. ``We'd like to believe we'll be able to come up with the space and provide the match,'' said Sidney J. Duck III, assistant superintendent for administrative services. ``We don't have a firm answer.''
In Norfolk, administrators estimated that the district might have to turn away $2.4 million in the state funds because of limited classroom space.
In budgets proposed by the governor and the General Assembly, Norfolk would be eligible for a total of $4.8 million in state funds. It is enough cash to reduce K-3 classes in the city's 10 mostly black community schools to a 15-to-1 student-teacher ratio, a reduction of three to five students per class, and to expand the program for 4-year-olds by 30 classes.
But, administrators told the board, there's enough existing classroom space to reduce class sizes at only four of the schools and to add a total of one or two more early-childhood classes.
``That certainly is unfortunate, but we are constrained by space,'' said Mary Lou Roaseau, the Norfolk schools' chief financial officer.
Norfolk and other local school officials said they support the two initiatives. But they blame their dilemma on a trend by state legislators to earmark money for specific programs, which limits their flexibility to use the money for other needs that may be greatest. And requiring local matches also adds a burden.
While these pose problems, the ``major challenge'' facing Norfolk in next year's school budget, officials said, is a projected rise of 740 students - the largest enrollment jump in two decades, one that will create more than $2 million in new costs. The growth is associated with an influx of military families moving into the city at the Ben Moreell naval housing complex.
The largest single increase is for a proposed 3.4 percent raise for teachers and other employees; it would cost about $5.5 million. by CNB