Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 14, 1990 TAG: 9003142788
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: SHARON HODGE SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: MARTI LENGTH: Medium
The School Board could shave $58,000 off its $12.7 million 1990-91 budget by paying retirement contributions for teachers instead of increasing their salaries. Before ending its legislative session Saturday, the General Assembly mandated a 5 percent increase for teachers.
But Ron Epperly, assistant superintendent for business and finance, proposed Tuesday that Martinsville school officials take the additional $174,986 it would receive from the state for salary incentives and pay into the Virginia Supplemental Retirement System.
School employees pay 5 percent of their gross salaries into the retirement program. The School Board contributes 11.76 percent of a teacher's gross salary to the fund, Epperly said.
In a memo to Superintendent Harold Lamm, Epperly said he learned this week that James Dykes, secretary of education, would be listing the contribution as an option for satisfying the mandated 5 percent teacher salary increase.
Full payment of retirement benefits may result in more take-home pay for some teachers, said Epperly as he presented the board with two versions of the proposed 1990-91 budget.
Board Chairman Worth Carter asked Epperly to prepare a list of negatives the alternate plan may have to school employees. According to Epperly, teachers nearing retirement would be disadvantaged by the plan. Retirement pay is based on the salary level for the last three years working, he noted. If the School Board picks up total payments, teachers' salaries would remain the same next year as they are now, Epperly said.
The board's budget is to be sent to City Manager George Brown on Friday. The board will decide how to spend the salary incentive from the commonwealth at a special budget session.
Also Tuesday, the School Board was told that fourth-graders would be eliminated from the Regional Governor's School program.
Michael Rolen, assistant superintendent for pupil personnel services, said a 400-student maximum has been instituted in the program hosted by Pittsylvania County.
The county receives $17,000 in state funds to run the summer school for gifted pupils in fourth through eighth grades. Under the new plan, fourth-graders have been excluded and each school district has been allotted seats in the program based on the size of its gifted population.
Last year, 56 students from Martinsville participated in the Governor's School. That number has been reduced to 26 for the 1990 program Rolen said. A more competitive selection process will be used because of the limitations.
Parents will be receiving a letter about the changes, Rolen said.
by CNB