THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, February 19, 1997          TAG: 9702190389
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY ALETA PAYNE, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   76 lines

BEACH SCHOOL BUDGET PLAN: FRANKLY FLAT, JENNEY SAYS AS THE DISTRICT GETS BACK ON ITS FEET, HE URGES ``INGENUITY AND CREATIVITY.''

Superintendent Timothy R. Jenney has proposed a $418.7 million budget that does not provide the city's public schools with any new or expanded programs in the next fiscal year.

In the document's first public presentation Tuesday night, Jenney told the board, ``This budget, if adopted, will call for extraordinary ingenuity and creativity on our part.

``Quite frankly, this is a flat budget.''

The board offered no public comment at the meeting, but a special work session focusing on the budget will be planned. A public hearing will be held March 6 at 6:30 p.m. at Larkspur Middle School.

Even before the document was read Tuesday, supporters of gifted education were out in force.

They asked that additional funding be made available to Kemps Landing Magnet School, the city's magnet program for gifted middle school students. They also asked for more money for the International Baccalaureate program at Princess Anne High School and the math-science magnet program at Ocean Lakes High School.

Under the proposal, the Kemps Landing Magnet School will not grow beyond its current enrollment, and the two high school programs will not take in new ninth graders.

``Without funding increases, these programs will lose continuity,'' said parent Bob Mandigo. ``The students in these programs are eager and continue to demonstrate academic achievement. The staff in these programs are also highly motivated.''

The 1997-98 budget proposal represents an 8.1 percent jump from this year's $387.3 million spending plan for operations. However, the increase will barely maintain existing programs and cover a proposed raise for employees.

It was not the sort of news many parents and employees, still recovering from years of budget troubles, had hoped to hear.

The school superintendent's proposal calls for a contribution from the city of $195.2 million. Negotiations over a proposed formula for funding the city schools have not been completed. In a resolution passed last week after the schools' budget had been constructed and printed, city officials advised the board that $182.7 million would be available for operations.

While the proposed budget assumes a $6.2 million increase in state revenue, it also anticipates federal money to the division will drop $2.2 million.

The budget message that accompanies the document reads in part: ``This year's proposal is a priorities-only effort that could be vastly improved with additional, very critical funding increases.''

Among the increases in the budget that the superintendent proposes funding:

$6 million to open Christopher Farms Elementary School and Corporate Landing Middle School in the fall.

$3 million in additional staff for student population growth.

$4.9 million in deferred salary and benefits costs from 1996-97.

$2.2 million in required staff development activities, instructional supplies and other mandates.

The largest single increase included in the superintendent's proposal is $12.1 million to give employees a 1 percent raise plus an experience credit for those eligible. That raise would begin on July 1. Close to 90 percent of the division's budget is in personnel.

Although comment Tuesday was dominated by supporters of gifted and talented programs, many others would be affected as well.

School Board initiatives totaling $49 million and public requests of $68 million were not included. Programs like the initiative to reduce class size in kindergarten to third grade will not expand.

Among other board and public requests that didn't make it into the proposal:

$40,000 to test all first graders for the gifted program.

$920,000 to expand the program for at-risk 4-year-olds to the maximum grant allowed by the state.

$3.2 million to pay employees for two instructional days that have been added to next year's school calendar.

$150,000 to provide child care at Open Campus High School.

$2.3 million to reduce high school class size by an average of one student.

KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOL BUDGET