
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, May 8, 1990                   TAG: 9005080712
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

FEDERAL FUNDS LIKELY FOR SCHOOL NURSE

Federal funds are expected to pay for the continuation of the nursing program in the Roanoke school system in the next fiscal year.

Richard Kelley, executive for business affairs for city schools, said today that school officials are "fairly confident" that federal money will be available for five part-time nursing positions.

At a recent hearing on the city budget and tax rates, many speakers made emotional pleas for money for school nurses. They said that many children, particularly those from poor, inner-city neighborhoods, have health and medical needs that cannot be handled by teachers.

They said the nurses had been told that their contracts might not be renewed.

An estimated 500 people attended the hearing to urge council to provide more money for several school programs, including the nurses.

Kelley said the city expects to receive about $75,000 in federal money in the next year under the so-called Chapter I program that can be used for the program.

But he said the city will probably have to fund the nurses from local funds "one of these days" because federal officials want the Chapter I money to be spent on classroom activities instead of support services.

City Manager Robert Herbert said the School Board did not request additional money for the program in its supplemental budget that included funds for an all-day kindergarten, a longer high school day and other programs.

In a letter to council, the city manager said no additional money had been recommended for the nurses because it was his understanding that federal funds would be available to continue them in the next year.

Herbert said that regulations required the nurses to be notified by April 15 if there was any chance that their contracts might not be renewed.

"Current school nurses were notified of this," he said, "because there is a slight chance that Chapter I funding may not be renewed, and this was the reason for many of the comments made at the public hearing."

by CNB