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to the same situation. It’s a decreasing return on our investment not to pay enough to get good teachers.”
“I agree with what you’re thinking,” Pete Luke told , Graham and Davis. ‘‘But I look at these neighboring counties like Fauquier— which has a $10 million budget compared to our $1.8 million budget. From these state statistics on counties in this area, we rank second or third after Fauquier in teacher benefits.
“We’re between a rock and a hard spot,” Luke went on. “We haven’t got much budget but I haven’t heard many people tell me they want a tax increase.”
“Well, I’d rather have a tax increase and I no longer have a child in the school system,” George Davis said.
“I AGREE with Mr. Davis,” Liz Scherschell said. “I have one child in the school system now. What we pay in taxes by no means cover educating that one child. I think the school board budget should be restored, in toto.”
Mrs. Lynne Baines said she is a “teacher, taxpayer and parent. How can you expect to get away with a stable tax rate?” she asked.
Bill Harrison suggested that a need for “longer range planning” was probably needed. “But why must Rappahannock always be a follower?”
H. L. Manwaring, also a school board member, said that “quality education” is essential to this county. In view of the costof-living increase and other costs, we can’t continually hold the tax rate at $4.10.”
Luke said that one problem in trying to increase teacher’s salaries is the general public’s feeling that teachers only work for 10 months.
“THAT MAY be what the public thinks, I agree,” Nancy McCoy said. “But you could try to inform them that it’s not that way, so they’d understand an increase.”
“They ought to be informed,” Luke agreed.
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