THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 29, 1996 TAG: 9610290274
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALETA PAYNE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 55 lines
Residents will be able to exercise their opinion muscles on issues facing the school district through a new twice-monthly television show to be broadcast on VBTV, Channel 47.
During the portion of the board's regular meetings when legal, personnel or student disciplinary issues are discussed behind closed doors, viewers will have a chance to hear discussion of and leave a recorded message about a hot topic coming up on a future board agenda on the program, ``The School Division Wants to Know.''
Citizens will be able to call in to the Beach-Line throughout that evening's meeting to leave their opinions on the program's subject on a recording. No live calls will be taken on the show.
``People can call in to vote yes, no or to make a comment,'' said Kathy Bulman, assistant superintendent for media and communications development.
The results from the calls will be reported on the next program.
While some local districts, including the Beach, televise their board meetings, this effort appears to be the only regularly scheduled public school television program of its kind in the area.
Superintendent Timothy R. Jenney sees the potential for the public and the district to benefit. Community members will see a presentation on an issue being considered and school leaders will get input from the public, which can serve ``as one variable'' in decision-making, he said.
``I do think it's the beginning ofwhat could lead us to some other significant methods of communicating with our public,'' he said.
Plans are in the works to have the questions run in the Beacon, the Virginia Beach community news section of The Virginian-Pilot, preceding the call-in program. The board meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month, beginning at 4 p.m. with a closed session. The program will start at 4:30, with calls taken at (757) 427-3580, Ext. 292, from the beginning of the program until the meeting's end.
Public information coordinator Joe Lowenthal will be the show's host, leading an expert or panel of experts through a discussion. The first evening's program, on Nov. 5, will deal with a new policy being considered by the board to require a C average to compete in any activity governed by the Virginia High School League. Albert Williams, assistant superintendent for high school education, will provide information on the issue.
Bulman said the show could eventually run about 30 minutes, although individual programs may be shorter or longer. It will be taped in the school board's meeting room, and there will be no additional cost to the district, she said.
Questions and topics will be determined by what's coming up on the board's agenda - ``something that begs for community input,'' Bulman said.
With the program debuting on Election Day, Bulman acknowledged that viewership may be light, but she said school officials wanted to get started.
``We were anxious to get it up and going, so we felt Nov. 5 was as good as any day.''
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOL BOARD by CNB