ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 21, 1996 TAG: 9603210069
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: W8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: S.D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER
Salem school employees would get a 5 percent raise under the proposed $23.5 million 1996-97 fiscal year school budget.
And two teachers would be added at Andrew Lewis Middle School and four other staff positions would be added systemwide under the proposed budget.
But the board may not hire a full-time drug and alcohol abuse counselor to be shared by Salem High School and Andrew Lewis Middle School.
The School Board met Monday night to discuss the budget, and had to cut about $92,000 to keep expenditures within the schools' revenue.
The board ended up cutting about $99,000, including $30,000 from what was to be part of a salary for a Student Assistance Program counselor.
Board members did leave $15,000 for the Student Assistance Program, possibly to contract with an area health agency, said Superintendent Wayne Tripp.
The school strengthened its drug and alcohol abuse policy in November, allowing expulsion of first-time offenders.
But at the same time, board members and Tripp said they wanted to make sure rehabilitative and preventive measures were equally implemented.
Last year, when the School Board compiled a list of priorities for the 1996-97 budget, it said it wanted to establish a program to offer intervention services to students with drug or alcohol abuse problems. A full-time counselor would have served that role.
Tripp said the program would not have been used as medical or psychological treatment, but more as an intervention program.
On Monday, board members questioned how great a role the school system should play in providing those services, Tripp said.
"We're in the process of trying to determine what's important," School Board member William Sinkler said.
"I realize those services should be provided by parents if they're in the position to do so," Sinkler said. "But if they are not in the position to do so, the school may have some minor responsibility."
The $15,000 reserved for the Student Assistance Program remains in the budget, but School Board Chairman Walter Franke said the board will want to see a clearer definition of the program before it spends the money.
The School Board will vote on the proposed budget Tuesday; it then will have to be approved by Salem City Council.
Revenues for this year's budget increased about 4 1/2 percent from last year to $23,566,879, Tripp said.
Tripp said that a 15 percent increase in health insurance rates for school employees was one of a few things the board had to make room for in the budget this year.
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