ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 9, 1996 TAG: 9603110044
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
At least three applicants will vie for the two Roanoke School Board seats that City Council must fill by July 1.
The deadline for applications is Monday.
So far, incumbent Charles Day and two others are seeking the seats. Incumbent Finn Pincus is not seeking a new term.
The nonincumbent applicants are James Beatty, city personnel administrator, and Farley Childress, a retired soldier in the Army.
Day is a retired teacher, coach, counselor and principal who has been on the board six years. He is a former chairman of the School Board. He has a master's degree from Virginia State University and a master's degree from Radford University.
Beatty applied for the board two years ago when Marsha Ellison and John Saunders were appointed. He is a former teacher and coach who has worked for the city 23 years, mainly in the areas of personnel recruitment and employment.
Beatty has a bachelor's degree from Winston-Salem State University and a master's degree from the University of Virginia.
Childress was an electronics maintenance officer for the Army. He has a bachelor's degree from Bluefield State College.
Pincus, track and cross country coach at Roanoke College, is not seeking a new term because he wants to devote more time to his job and pursue other goals. Pincus, a board member for six years, is a former chairman.
City Council still is accepting applications for the two seats.
Under the public selection procedure, council announces pending vacancies and invites applications. Monday is the deadline. Council publicly interviews up to three applicants for each seat.
Roanoke has a seven-member board with staggered terms. The members are paid $2,400 a year.
Most counties and cities in Western Virginia now elect school board members, but Roanoke and Salem have kept the appointed system.
Salem voters rejected the elected method in a referendum. An attempt to get the issue on the ballot in Roanoke failed because not enough signatures of registered voters were collected in a petition drive to force a vote.
LENGTH: Short : 48 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS SCHOOL BOARDby CNB