Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 30, 1993 TAG: 9310300005
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By ROBERT FREIS staff writer
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
More pay is necessary to close the gap between local teachers' pay and the national average, Radford Education Association representative Ralph Arthur told the city School Board Monday.
Virginia's effort to raise teachers' salaries has been stymied by state budget shortfalls and cutbacks, said Arthur, who teaches at Dalton Intermediate School.
"Now we're farther behind the national average than ever," he said.
According to the association, Radford's average annual teacher's salary is $31,761, which is $2,337 less than the national average yet only $3 less than the state average.
Arthur said the salary average is skewed because the city's school system has a large percentage of veteran teachers who rate high on the system's salary scale.
Newer teachers who are lower on that scale aren't paid equitably, he said.
The education association asked the school board to appropriate a 1.25 percent increase to adjust that scale. It also asked for 5.75 percent increases for teachers and other school employees to offset inflation and provide cost of living increases.
Last year city teachers requested six percent pay increases and ended up with 3 percent.
The association also wants a 15 percent increase in health insurance benefits, Arthur said.
His request was one of several proposals heard by the board during its first meeting on the school system's 1994-95 budget.
Gary Talley, president of the McHarg Elementary PTA, said overcrowding and maintenance problems at the school need financial attention.
More classroom space is needed for music, art and physical education, and more personnel is needed for student's health needs, he said.
Radford schools also need to hire additional help for the system's school psychologist, said Dr. William Cook.
The system's present arrangement - a part-time psychologist who is also the director of special education - means the schools have to pay private psychologists to evaluate students on a contract basis, Cook said.
He called that method "unacceptable," and said an additional part-time psychologist is needed to adequately follow up on cases.
Schools superintendent Michael Wright told the board next year's budget may include $697,770 in fixed costs or non-routine maintenance.
That figure includes employee benefits, unfunded state mandates, new personnel and capital improvements.
by CNB