DATE: Friday, March 21, 1997                TAG: 9703210836

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B4   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:   45 lines

SCHOOL BUDGET STATUS REPORT: NORFOLK

Norfolk has a history of poor academic performance among its low-income students and needs money to begin its Quality Schools Initiative, an aggressive plan to improve student achievement and attendance.

The district also wants to expand reading programs, early-childhood education for 4-year-olds, school technology, and alternative education programs to help disruptive students, slow learners and those at risk of dropping out.

School officials also want money for an average 3 percent salary increase for employees. STATUS

The proposed $209.7 million budget, 4.7 percent more than the current year, calls for no increases in local funding. School officials are expecting an additional $2 million from excess state and federal funds for the current year and will ask the City Council to use that money in the 1997-98 school budget.

The district is also anticipating $7.9 million more from the state next year and an increase in $1.1 million from federal funding sources. DEVELOPMENTS THURSDAY

Several speakers at a public hearing asked the School Board to provide more than the proposed average 3 percent raise. School officials have yet to decide how the pay increase would be split among workers. Other speakers asked the board for substitute custodians to fill in for sick workers, more assistant principals for elementary schools without them, fans for non-air conditioned schools and an additional middle school resource teacher to work with the gifted and talented program. NEXT STEP

The School Board is expected to vote on the budget plan at the Thursday, March 27, board meeting at 7 p.m., Maury High School. TO GET INVOLVED

Call school offices for more information, 441-2237.

- Denise Watson

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu