THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 27, 1995 TAG: 9510250155
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 11 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
Here's a brief look at some of the action taken at last week's School Board meeting:
CIP APPROVED: The School Board unanimously approved its five-year, $20 million capital-improvement plan. About 98 percent of the money is earmarked for a new I.C. Norcom High School. The rest - $100,000 each year - will pay for window and roof replacements and gutter repairs.
Also the main steam line at Hunt-Mapp Middle is scheduled for replacement this school year. The steam line, crumbling from age, has caused heating and other problems at Hunt-Mapp.
Superintendent Richard D. Trumble said the financially strapped district would continue to pay for other maintenance needs the way it's done in the past: With money from the operating budget.
The plan must be approved by the City Council, which will act on it later this fall.
EYE ON THE MONEY: In August, the board approved two measures designed to prevent the kind of crisis now plaguing Virginia Beach: That district ran up at least a $7.4 million deficit last year by spending money it didn't have, overestimating how much it would get and carrying over debts from the previous year.
The measures, introduced by board member Lawrence W. I'Anson Jr., directed Trumble to have an independent auditor find out what safeguards were in place to prevent overspending; and to develop ``a simple summary'' of the monthly financial report.
Last week, Trumble shared his preliminary findings with the board: The district's current auditor - KPMG - said it would charge Portsmouth from $10,000 to $60,000 to expand the scope of its work.
The board told Trumble to return to the negotiating table and find out what the company thought of the district's current safeguards. Next report on that matter: November.
KEYWORDS: PORTSMOUTH SCHOOL BOARD by CNB