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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 8, 1995                   TAG: 9503080086
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ROANOKE TEACHERS' PAY CATCHING UP TO COUNTY'S

Tuesday night, the city School Board approved pay boosts for teachers, higher than those recommended earlier by Superintendent Wayne Harris, so city salaries will be equal to - or exceed - the county's at many steps on the pay scale.

Based on years served, city salaries would exceed the county's by several hundred dollars in some cases, and more than $1,500 in a few cases.

That could change quickly, however. The county has not acted on salary increases this year.

If the county approves teacher raises as expected, its salaries likely will exceed the city's new scale in some cases, particularly for teachers with less than 13 years' experience.

To try to catch up with the county, the city provided a $900 supplement to the salary scale for teachers with up to 10 years' service, and an $800 supplement for teachers with a master's degree and more than 21 years of experience.

The city also provided a 2 percent cost-of-living increase.

Under the new scale, the salary for a beginning teacher in Roanoke will be $25,937, compared with the county's current pay of $25,200.

The salary for a Roanoke teacher with 20 years' experience will be $36,988, compared with $35,550 in the county.

But the county is considering a 3 percent cost-of-living raise, in addition to a 1 percent step increase for its teachers, a move that would put its salaries above those of city teachers, particularly those with less than 13 years of experience.

If the county approves the raises, Harris said it would cost the city $223,671 to close the salary gap entirely and offer salaries equal to the county's in all cases.

Board member John Saunders wanted the board to do that.

``I think we have done a good job, but it's still possible to do better. I think we can once and for all eliminate the gap,'' Saunders said. ``I'm going to vote against the budget, because it's in our power to do better.''

But the other board members approved the budget and rejected Saunders' request.

Harris has been trying to gradually raise teachers' salaries through a three-year plan to make them competitive with those of the county and other urban school divisions.

School Board members wanted to speed up the raises this year. Harris provided the funds for the raises by trimming maintenance costs, reducing health insurance costs and making other budget adjustments.

The salaries were approved as part of a $77.6 million budget.