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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 13, 1991                   TAG: 9102130636
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: By NEAL THOMPSON EDUCATION WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BOARD HEARS PLEAS TO SAVE PROGRAMS

Unless Roanoke spends enough money to teach its children, it will have to spend much more to pay for dropouts who end up on welfare or in jail.

That was the gist of one teacher's comments at a Tuesday night hearing on the School Board budget for next year - a budget that calls for up to $3 million in cuts.

"Which is cheaper . . . 13 years of education or 45 years of welfare?" asked Robert Young, who teaches printing at Patrick Henry High School's vocational program.

Young was one of about 20 teachers, parents and students who begged the School Board to protect school programs from impending budget cuts.

The most impassioned plea came from Michael Rudd, a building manager at Addison Middle School who has four children in city schools.

Rudd said if cuts need to be made, the board should dig into salaries, supplies and equipment.

"But do not touch our children's education. Do not touch our reading, writing and arithmetic," he said. "Let's cut somewhere, but don't cut what our children need most."

More than 100 people attending the hearing applauded and cheered Rudd's comments.

But the news from the School Board wasn't comforting.

"We just can't do everything that everybody wants to see done," board Chairman James Turner told the crowd.

Board members are looking to cut positions, freeze pay raises and reduce adult education programs, summer school classes and other specialized programs to compensate for an expected $3 million deficit.

One program targeted for elimination is the Scholars Program for gifted middle school pupils.

Rebekah Rice said her son, Joey, looks forward to his one day a week in that program and that some pupils need an incentive program like that to keep them interested in school.

"They need that. I don't want to see that lost," Rice told the board.

Some speakers said one solution to the School Board's money problems would be to get more money from City Council.

But Councilman Bev Fitzpatrick Jr., who attended the hearing, said the city is equally strapped for cash. Unless the state provides more money, council won't be able to give the School Board any more than it already has.

"It's the age-old problem," he said. Parents want money for their kids, but those without kids want city money spent elsewhere.

"It's going to be tough," Fitzpatrick said.

by CNB