THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 6, 1996 TAG: 9610040188
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Aleta Payne
LENGTH: 48 lines
In action from Tuesday's School Board meeting:
Print shop consolidation
The board voted to take the next steps toward consolidation of the school division and city's print shop services. The superintendent will now begin working with the city manager to come up with an agreement with the goal of beginning implementation by Jan. 1.
The plan, which must come back to the School Board for approval, will specifically address several issues including prioritizing work to preserve the school system's level of service.
Although board member Daniel Arris proposed delaying a decision on the matter, the remainder of the board voted to proceed. A consultant's report pointed to cost savings and better utilization of equipment and personnel through consolidation.
New meeting schedule
The board's next meeting will follow a new schedule that could become the model for all future agendas. The informal meeting will begin at 4 p.m. with a closed session to consider legal, personnel and other matters. The formal meeting will begin at 6 p.m. with a closed session for student disciplinary matters scheduled at 8 p.m. if needed.
Board members have said they hope to make the agenda more user friendly and that they want students appearing for discipline hearings to have a definite idea of when they would be needed. In the past, disciplinary hearings have often taken place at the end of the board meeting, late in the evening.
The board is expected to vote at the next meeting to make this new schedule the regular agenda.
Enrollment below estimate
Superintendent Timothy R. Jenney told the board that enrollment was lower than expected at 76,815 students. The projection for this year had been 77,634. Although state funding is based on a per pupil basis, school officials have said the division should not see a budget impact because some teacher positions had not been filled in anticipation of actual enrollment numbers.
Although the percentage difference between the projection and actual enrollment is small, board members have expressed concern that the division look to refining the process for making estimates as the numbers have been off for the last three years.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOLS CONSOLIDATION ENROLLMENT by CNB