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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 21, 1993                   TAG: 9304210249
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: ROBERT FREIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

COUNTY-SCHOOL MERGER TO BE DISCUSSED

The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors and School Board will stage a wary meeting today to discuss the possible consolidation of their purchasing and finance departments.

The issue of merging the two departments is having a divisive effect on school employees, School Superintendent Harold Dodge told the School Board on Tuesday.

"Morale is awful," he said, because the long-standing question has dragged on.

The School Board can't offer its financial employees contracts for next year because the county has tied the school system's hands, he said. Pending a study of consolidation, the county this year removed $470,000 earmarked for operating the school's financial department next year.

The issue arose last year when an auditor suggested that efficiency could be improved by merging the county and school system operations.

But today's meeting will be the first time both boards have met to discuss the issue, and School Board Chairman Roy Vickers said he hopes the meeting will help clear up frustration and uncertainty about the proposal.

"Communication is the key," he said. "We're trying, but I'm not sure we're doing a good job yet."

Vickers said he told Supervisors Chairman Ira Long that the county has treated school employees poorly by usurping the $470,000 and allowing uncertainty to fester.

Dodge gave the School Board an overview of county schools' purchasing and accounting procedures Tuesday. He defended both systems as being accurate and cost-effective.

Consolidation could result in a loss of control and efficiency, he warned.

Members of the School Board plan to discuss the merger with supervisors at the meeting today, although the format for the discussion may not be as the supervisors requested.

The supervisors want to meet with the School Board in executive session, but Vickers said he's not sure such a meeting would be legal.

The School Board went into its own executive session Tuesday night to discuss the issue of meeting with the supervisors in private.

by CNB