DATE: Monday, November 17, 1997             TAG: 9711170050

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ALETA PAYNE, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   70 lines

COMPUTERS TOP BUDGET WISH LIST

Better classroom technology and someone to fix it - that's a clear priority for school system spending from the folks who responded to an open-ended survey of where division money should be spent.

About 150 employees, parents, students, residents and groups returned 1998-99 budget suggestion forms that allowed them to offer additions or deletions to next year's spending plan. The survey was the first of its kind. The information gathered has been compiled and will be shared with the school board as the system heads into its budget season. The first public hearing on the 1998-99 spending plan is scheduled for Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the district office, 2512 George Mason Drive.

``We really wanted to open up the process more and see what was on people's minds. We wanted to sample the interest out there, see if there's any trends,'' said Kathy Bulman, assistant superintendent for media

and communications.

The results included a range of issues, but one theme that emerged was the need for more computer technology support. More than 50 responses cited a lack of sufficient repair staff.

``MIS needs additional technicians to get out to the schools. We have been awaiting repairs on some of our computers since the end of last year. Please fund additional support,'' read one request.

``Hire additional technicians to service computers in the schools so that there is not so much down time. Pay them enough so that they do not leave for better paying jobs as soon as they become proficient,'' read another.

School officials have acknowledged a lack of staffing in computer support positions that has led to a backlog in repair and maintenance. Judging from the surveys, folks in the schools want the situation corrected.

Along with improvements or additions in technology services, other requests included:

Increased funding for gifted education, Old Donation Center and the magnet schools. Supporters of the programs have come out in force to lobby in recent budget sessions.

Benefits for daytime teachers at the Adult Learning Center.

Additional staff to assist with high school athletic programs, including a full-time athletic trainer for each school and monitors to supervise after-school tutorial programs as the district phases in a 2.0 grade point average requirement for many activities. The request was made by the Beach District Principals' Association.

Budget season has increasingly become a tense time in the division, with school officials arguing that they need more funding for programs and city officials arguing they must meet the needs for all municipal services. For the second year, the city's education budget will be based on a funding formula that will provide schools a set percentage of certain city tax streams for local revenue.

Also at Tuesday's school board meeting:

The board is scheduled to vote on changes to fund-raising policy involving children. Prompted by the Virginia Beach Council of PTAs, board members are considering forbidding prize incentives as part of a fund-raising activity, explicitly prohibiting door-to-door sales by elementary and middle schoolers, and prohibiting the use of instructional time to promote or celebrate a fund-raising activity.

Board member Daniel Arris has proposed that board salaries be doubled from $3,600 to $7,200 annually. The change would go into effect after a new board is seated on July 1, 1998. Nine of the eleven board seats are up for election in the spring.

If the board should vote for the increase, it would then require action by the General Assembly. It would make Beach board members the best paid in the region and would bring their pay in line with boards in other large districts in the state.

``The scope of the job, the time involved, the commitment involved is certainly worth more than $3,600,'' Arris said. KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOLS WISH LIST

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