THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 23, 1996 TAG: 9608220154
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Matthew Bowers
LENGTH: 80 lines
PRINCIPAL SHUFFLE
As summer vacation winds down, the summer shuffle continues in Virginia Beach's public schools. Three high schools will open with new faces in their principal's offices.
Donald E. Stowers is moving to First Colonial High from Green Run High in one of several administrative moves approved Tuesday by the School Board. Taking Stowers' place at Green Run is Walter Taylor, an assistant principal at Ocean Lakes High.
Bruce A. Biehl becomes principal at Kellam High, moving up from the same job at Bayside Middle School.
J. Wylie French takes over as principal of the Career Development Center, replacing Michael A. Samuel, who becomes coordinator of student conduct.
Cletus Griffin will be principal of Brandon Middle School, leaving the same post at College Park Elementary and replacing Jonathan L. Harnden, who becomes director of the Office of Student Leadership. George D. MacKay will be the new principal of College Park Elementary; he's been an administrative coordinator for special education.
Also approved Tuesday was the hiring of Kathleen O. Bulman to new Superintendent Timothy R. Jenney's staff as assistant superintendent for media and communications development. She has worked with the Norfolk city government.
DOLLARS AND SENSE
A major controversy over school system overspending, malfeasance charges and criminal trials, resignations, a resulting near-complete turnover of School Board members - these are ingredients for some light stepping these days when it comes to money matters.
At Tuesday's meeting, board members peppered school officials with questions about the monthly financial statements, which are being overhauled to be more ``user friendly,'' in board member Rosemary A. Wilson's words.
Wilson also led the board's charge to postpone approval of a $1.5 million contract for architectural and engineering services for a new high school in the Lake Ridge area off Princess Anne Road, for now dubbed ``High School 2001.'' School staffers had negotiated the design fee on the $41 million project, which has been in planning since January. But that was before most on the current board had taken their seats. They said they didn't know enough about it to give an OK. ``I feel like we definitely need more information,'' Wilson said. ``This is a big project.''
Jenney's staff agreed to provide whatever information the board wanted, and no action was taken. ``Transition is always difficult,'' Jenney said.
SIGN OF TRANSITION
At Tuesday's meeting, member Tim Jackson repeatedly asked a lawyer from the city attorney's office for opinions on the legality of votes. It was Jackson's first meeting since a jury last week found him not guilty of misdemeanor malfeasance charges brought after an illegal $12 million deficit occurred during his tenure on the previous board.
Before voting, Jackson asked whether it was legal to approve some standard payments after they had been made. ``Are we in line with the law?'' he asked the lawyer, Deputy City Attorney Randall M. Blow.
Jackson asked Blow to determine the ``legal sufficiency'' of a proposed account Jenney sought to hold leftover money to use for emergencies. He even asked the deputy city attorney if it was proper for him to withdraw his second of someone else's motion.
Jackson made a point during a lull in the meeting to thank Blow for his opinions.
BAD AIR CONTINUES
Those tired of the bad air at some city schools ran into yet another delay at Tuesday's meeting. The School Board postponed action on ventilation work at Birdneck, Red Mill and Strawbridge elementary schools after a contractor who lost bids for the projects asked to be reconsidered and threatened to sue. The board did approve a $223,500 contract for ventilation work at Ocean Lakes Elementary.
The board also approved about $500,000 for emergency roof-repair work at Louise Luxford Elementary School, where a wood beam came loose in May over a fifth-grade classroom full of students. Repairs were made, but inspection showed the whole roof needed to be replaced. The work will be done in shifts, with students using portable classrooms when their regular classes are roofless.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOL BOARD by CNB