THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 13, 1996 TAG: 9603120110
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LINDA McNATT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ISLE OF WIGHT LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
School Superintendent Jane T. York last week recommended a $31.4 million operating budget for the 1996-97 school year that represents a 9.1 percent increase over the current year.
York's recommendations to the School Board include: a 4.2 percent salary increase for teachers, an increase of about 4 percent for other school employees, nine new teachers to make way for increased enrollment, a technology technician to repair and install equipment, four replacement and two additional school buses, and major repairs and renovations to facilities. ``Our first and foremost reason for being here is a sound educational program,'' York told the board. ``We are, I believe, making significant progress in the core curriculum and in technology.''
Most of the budget increases focus on educational programs, York said, many of them caused by anticipated increases in enrollment next year.
Debate over the recommended budget was highlighted by the debate that has continued in two areas throughout budget work sessions: Hardy District representative Herb DeGroft's request that the School Board look into hiring a full-time deputy and purchase a drug-detecting dog for exclusive use by the schools and his request for CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and first aid classes in the high schools.
York included $22,750 to assign a deputy to the middle and high schools for 10 months.
``I did not include a dog because of the liability involved,'' she said.
She did include $21,125 to implement CPR as a part of ninth-grade health and physical education classes.
Except for DeGroft, board members were uncertain if either of the budget items were necessary.
``I go into a lot of schools with security guards walking the halls,'' said Pam Edwards, who represents the Windsor District. ``I would like for my fellow board members to keep in mind that we have discipline problems, but they are usually isolated incidents, not massive uprisings.''
Edwards also questioned the need for CPR classes, and she asked School Board Attorney Woodrow Crook to research what kind of liability the board would be taking on by offering those classes.
Board Chairman Richard Peerey supported Edwards regarding the deputy.
``I do not want drug trafficking in these schools, and I will not tolerate it,'' Peerey said. ``But I'm not at the place I want uniformed people in our schools, either. There has got to be a way that we, as a community, can help.''
DeGroft passed out drug-abuse-related articles and promised to present the board later with an estimate for a private security contract, including a dog. He talked about ``statistics from the newspapers'' and called the need for uniformed security and a drug-sniffing dog in the schools his ``favorite subject.'' He also questioned the need for teachers to have a 4 percent raise.
``Based on inflation, I'd find it hard to support more than about a 3 1/2 percent increase,'' DeGroft said.
Both Edwards and Peerey endorsed increased compensations for teachers, but James Brown, representing the Smithfield District, sided with DeGroft on that issue.
``I'd like to see what a 3 percent and 3 1/2 percent does to the budget,'' Brown said.
York explained that her recommendation would mean a $435,000 impact on the budget. A 3.2 percent raise, the superintendent said, would cost an additional $350,000.
The 4 percent recommendation, Edwards said, ``is the minimum we can do for the teachers.''
Beginning teachers in the county, under either guideline, would start at $25,000.
The School Board will hold a public hearing on York's recommended budget at 7 p.m. Thursday, before the School Board meeting.
The board planned another work session for 3 p.m. March 26. The budget needs to be presented to the county Board of Supervisors by April 1. by CNB