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

DATE: THURSDAY, January 19, 1995                   TAG: 9501190134
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ROANOKE CAN'T AFFORD AIDES

Parents at Raleigh Court, Fishburn Park, Crystal Spring and Westside have complained that some classes have 25 students, while others have 18 or fewer.

School administrators acknowledge the differences in class sizes, but they say the smaller classes are in schools that qualify for state incentive funds because of the high concentration of students from low-income families.

School Superintendent Wayne Harris has proposed the hiring of teacher's aides to assist with large classes in grades 4 through 12, but the plan is in jeopardy.

Unless the state or city provides more funds than expected for the next school year, the school system cannot afford to hire the aides, said Richard Kelley, assistant superintendent for operations.

Hiring 10 aides would cost an additional $113,000 each year, Kelley said at a budget hearing Wednesday night at Virginia Heights Elementary School.

Based on preliminary estimates of state and city revenues, however, the money won't be available, he said.

Raleigh Court has an unusual situation because it is housing second-grade students from Wasena Elementary, which is closed for renovation.

The two Wasena second-grade classes have 14 and 17 pupils, while both of the second-grade classes at Raleigh Court have 25 pupils. The school made the choice to keep the classes separate.

There is a teacher's aide assigned to the school to be used at the principal's discretion. The aide can assist the larger second-grade class if the principal desires.

During the current school year, additional aides have been provided at Fishburn Park, Westside and Crystal Spring.

Two additional teachers were assigned at Morningside Elementary because the enrollment was higher than expected. Morningside qualifies for the state disparity funds because more than 25 percent of its students come from low-income families.

In some schools, the average enrollment in second grades is fewer than 18, including: Garden City, 16; Hurt Park, 16; Highland Park, 16; Fallon Park, 17.2; Crystal Spring, 17.3; Roanoke Academy of Math and Science, 17.3; Fairview, 17.4; Morningside, 17.6.