Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 5, 1990 TAG: 9004041352
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: PATRICIA LOPEZ BADEN EDUCATION WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
County schools had been facing a $1 million shortfall this year, the result of overspending on a newly expanded dropout-prevention program.
In an attempt to pare that deficit, school officials have frozen virtually all spending except salaries and utilities. School Board members also have asked the supervisors for a $500,000 advance on the 1990-91 budget, saying that otherwise they will run out of money before June.
Supervisor Bob Johnson said Wednesday that a tentative compromise has been reached with representatives of the School Board in late-night closed meetings earlier this week.
"It's still very tenuous at this point," he said, "but we have a handshake agreement on how we can work things out."
Johnson, who was one of two representatives from the Board of Supervisors at the closed-door meetings, said the details of the agreement cannot be revealed until Tuesday, when the plan is to be presented at a supervisors meeting.
He did, however, say that the agreement was more than just a $500,000 bailout.
"This definitely includes a plan of action so this won't happen again," he said. "The School Board will have to agree to the details in that plan."
Other supervisors have said that although they may be forced to bail out the district, they want to see a much closer scrutiny of school finances.
Supervisors Chairman Dick Robers on Tuesday called the deficit "bad fiscal management," and said he was going to make sure such a shortfall did not recur.
Roanoke County Parent Teacher Association President Mary Noon said Wednesday that she was "amazed and dismayed" at the school's deficit, and hoped it would spur county residents toward greater involvement in school budget sessions.
"We have a duty to do something about our anger and dismay," she said. "Otherwise, what good will come of this? We all need to ask the hard questions whenever we can, to ensure that fiscal responsibility is being practiced in our schools."
"I can't teach my children the value of money if every time they run out, I give them more," she said. "It's the same with the School Board."
Noon said that while the PTA does not consider itself a watchdog for school finances, "unless we all get more involved, the potential for this kind of situation will always exist."
The basis of the fiscal crisis was formed a year ago, when School Board members told the supervisors they needed money to expand the district's dropout-prevention program.
They were turned down, but instead of halting or scaling back their plans, they proceeded to expand the Career Center from a half-day to a full-day program and to hire more staff and buy more equipment.
Superintendent Bayes Wilson said that school officials thought they could save enough money in other areas to pay for the expanded Career Center, even though no full cost estimates had been done.
And while school officials say they did not hide the deficit from anyone, supervisors say they never heard of a potential shortfall until last month.
Both Wilson and School Board Chairman Frank Thomas defended the decision to go ahead with the dropout program.
Wilson said he sees nothing wrong with what the schools did, insisting that the district is not asking for "new" money, but simply an advance on the 1990-91 budget.
Robers, together with Supervisor Harry Nickens, said that one option may be to have the county take over the schools' finances.
Robers said that would give the county tighter control over school spending in the short run while eliminating duplication of positions in the long run.
Until last year, Career Center students attended classes at the Roanoke County Occupational School, a regional school for mentally handicapped students.
But parents of handicapped students had protested vigorously against housing the dropout program at the occupational school. They said many of the Career Center students had behavioral problems, were difficult to control and presented a danger to handicapped students, most of whom are severely mentally retarded.
That's when county school officials asked the Board of Supervisors for money to remodel the old William Byrd Junior High School in Vinton to accommodate the Career Center. The supervisors agreed to fund the remodeling but said they could not afford an expanded program.
Wilson said by that point, school officials realized that because of the school's out-of-the-way location, they would have to expand the program from a half-day to a full day.
by CNB