DATE: Saturday, July 26, 1997               TAG: 9707260012

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B8   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Editorial 

                                            LENGTH:   72 lines

VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOLS DO YOUR HOMEWORK

The day of reckoning for Virginia Beach is near. Soon voters there will have to confront the cost of improving the city's schools and libraries. Estimates vary, but all point to hefty tax hikes in the years to come.

At a School Board retreat last weekend, a two-pronged approach to school improvements was considered. School staff has been charged with providing a more detailed analysis of both proposals to the board at a special meeting Monday.

School officials are looking at a $63.5 bond referendum to pay for renovations at some of the city's oldest schools. If placed on the ballot and approved by voters, the referendum would tack an estimated 3 cents onto the real estate tax rate. The rate currently stands at $1.22 per $100 of assessed value.

Educators may also ask City Council for a dedicated tax of 5 to 7 cents, to raise $50 million to $70 million, to be used to install computers and wiring in all of the city schools and to maintain the new technology.

In addition, City Council is already considering a bond referendum for new and improved libraries to be placed on November's ballot. That measure could raise taxes anywhere from 1.8 to 6.9 cents.

Although the causes couldn't be better - schools and libraries - this all adds up to a sharp tax hike, unlike anything seen in recent years in the resort city. For that reason, we urge all parties to approach these issues with care.

Images of children being taught in corridors and closets at W.T. Cooke Elementary School will not soon fade from the public memory. Virginia Beach has targeted eight older schools, including Cooke, for immediate renovations to make them habitable. In addition, 16 other elementary schools are on a list for significant repair work, which, if done correctly, will lengthen the life of the buildings.

A bond referendum for school repairs would likely receive the nod from voters. In a middle-class community with a tradition of supporting education, maintenance and renovations of schools must receive proper attention. To delay is to compound the same problems in the near future.

The question of what should be done to improve technology in the schools is more vexing. Admittedly, Virginia Beach schools are lacking in computers and the infrastructure to install and run them. Beginning next spring, students will be mandated by the state to take tests in computer proficiency. Few predict Virginia Beach school students will perform well, given the present inadequacy of the system's computer program.

But the costs associated with installing new technology on the scale necessary for a school system of 70,000 students are astronomical. Mistakes made in purchasing or installation of new computers could prove costly for years to come.

We urge the schools to study computer needs in excruciating detail and, if need be, put off a request for funding until next year. When projects of this magnitude are at stake, taxpayers must be fully informed of what they are getting for their money and must have confidence that the plans are sound.

The city's library system is also hoping to install computers and upgrade wiring. It is essential that the school and library initiatives not be embarked on independently of each other. The schools must be able to interface with the city libraries to maximize the efficiency of new computer systems and to widen educational opportunities for school children.

There is another issue that could prove every bit as important as money: timing. The School Board must act by Aug. 5 if City Council is to have time to put these two multimillion-dollar questions to the voters in November. Last-minute referendums do not always fare well.

In 1996, the city waited until the last minute to place the referendum for a Redevelopment and Housing Authority on the ballot. The result of not having time to sell this confusing concept to the public was a decisive ``no'' from voters.

Before asking taxpayers to vote themselves a hefty tax hike, school officials should make absolutely certain that they have done their homework. And then communicate their needs clearly and completely.

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