DATE: Friday, March 14, 1997                TAG: 9703140628

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B9   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY VANEE VINES, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH                        LENGTH:   88 lines

PORTSMOUTH SCHOOL BOARD OK'S $96 MILLION OPERATING BUDGET THE PLAN INCLUDES AN AVERAGE PAY RAISE OF 4 PERCENT FOR ALL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES.

On a mission to get the City Council to open its wallet wider for local schools, the School Board unanimously approved Thursday a 1997-98 spending plan that calls for a 12.6 percent increase in money from the city.

If the council signed off on the board's plan, city spending for district schools would total $27.3 million next school year, about $3 million more than the city's share for education this year.

The board has described the extra money as crucial, especially if the district is to give employees higher raises. Portsmouth frequently loses teachers, administrators and other workers to neighboring districts with more attractive pay scales.

City Hall staffers are expected to begin reviewing the board's $96.6 million operating budget today. The city administration has yet to publicly disclose how much it is willing to spend on schools next year.

When local dollars for the city's public schools were not actually cut, the city within the past several years has opted to keep its share for local education fairly level.

Parent activists and teachers already have begun mobilizing city residents to lobby the council for more school aid.

``If we don't ask for it, we'll never get it,'' board member Lawrence W. I'Anson Jr. said late Thursday.

The 1997-98 operating budget approved Thursday is 5.3 percent - or $4.9 million - more than the one for this year. It provides for an average pay raise of 4 percent for all employees.

It also earmarks a total of $250,000 in ``salary adjustments'' for 484 teachers with at least 15 years of experience. The central office has yet to spell out how the money would be split among the veterans.

In another pay-related move, the operating budget earmarks about $136,000 for raises for substitute workers - substitute teachers and bus drivers, for instance.

The administration has yet to decide whether that money will be used to increase the rate of pay for subs, or to simply hire more subs next school year.

The plan approved Thursday is slightly different than the one the board reviewed about two weeks ago - primarily a reflection of firmer state aid projections.

Nearly 60 percent of the extra $4.9 million in the operating budget would go toward an average raise of 4 percent.

The central office anticipates $1.3 million more in state education aid, for a total of $57.8 million. That's a 2.3 percent increase over this year's budget.

The central office wants $3 million more from the City Council, for a total of $27.3 million. That would be a 12.6 percent increase.

If all funding comes through as anticipated, the district would use roughly 80 percent of the extra money for:

Pay raises - $2.8 million.

A total of 26 new positions - $720,000. About half of them would be teachers.

Salary adjustments for senior teachers - $250,000.

When anticipated 1997-98 revenue is tallied to include all funds - such as money from the School Grants category, the district is looking at a grand total of $115.9 million next school year - it will total about $5 million more than this year's bottom line.

The operating budget itself leaves little ``new'' money to significantly shore up other spending priorities, such as the area of vocational education.

If things go as planned, next year's payroll will grow by 26 new workers, however.

Eleven of the 26 new positions would be in special education. Nine people would be hired for the operations and maintenance department.

Altogether, the administration plans to increase spending in the operations and maintenance area by $1.1 million, or 8.5 percent - for a total of $13.9 million.

Much of the extra money would be linked to this fall's opening of a new I.C. Norcom High School. The district also plans to move some programs to the current Norcom building once the new school opens.

IN OTHER MATTERS:

The central office will publicly present Superintendent Richard D. Trumble's proposal to raise academic standards for students across the district next Thursday.

The proposal is a combination of tougher academic requirements for high school students to get a diploma; higher standards for third-, fifth- and eighth-graders to be promoted to the next grade; and more steps to help academically weak students pass muster.

The presentation begins at 7 p.m. in City Council chambers. Residents may comment on the proposal after the presentation. KEYWORDS: SCHOOL BUDGET

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