Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 7, 1990 TAG: 9004070374
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
However, board members continued to express interest in the governor's school for science, mathematics and technology, the Challenger School, set to open this fall on the Pulaski County High School campus near Dublin.
The Montgomery County School Board, which also decided not to participate in the schools, voted this week to withdraw its representative, James Hassall, who also is chairman of the magnet school board.
Besides Pulaski County, Giles, Floyd, Bland, Carroll and Wythe counties and Galax are participating.
Burns had written to the Radford board after its February vote opting out of the school. The board had cited a lack of details about the school's curriculum and future funding.
"I was urging their board to not close their eyes and ears to this, because it will be a very exciting opportunity," Burns said earlier this week.
"I'd like to see a curriculum first," board Chairman John McPhail said at Thursday night's meeting. Board member Rick Swann added, "I think we're justified in holding off."
Meanwhile, the board agreed informally to stay active on the Challenger School's governing board of nine Southwest Virginia school systems.
The board still has $17,500 in its 1990-91 budget intended to send seven high school juniors to the magnet school, but now plans to use that money to improve its own gifted-and-talented program.
Several new courses for gifted-and-talented students were outlined by Assistant Superintendent Virginia East, who said she wants Radford's programs to compete with those of the magnet school.
"If we're going to run with the magnet school, we're going to have to do some things," she said.
East proposed new honors classes in English and history and an advanced placement class in Virginia and U.S. government. She also said new honors courses in earth science, biology, chemistry and physics next fall would require more than $6,100 in new equipment and renovation of laboratory facilities.
"The science labs are in terrible shape," said Joyce Buck, who heads Radford's gifted-and-talented programs.
Board members held off on approving the new offerings until they can fund them as well.
Another problem for Radford school officials is the Challenger School's Pulaski County location. The school originally was proposed for a site on or near the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg.
"That whet our appetite to begin with," Gentry said before the meeting.
by CNB