Supervisors asked to add ■ to the budget F°r

Supervisors asked to add ■ to the budget

F°r many years, Rappahannock's School Board has been “chasing the elusive goal" of upgrading salaries to compare with those offered in neighboring counties, said Sharon Kilpatrick. But even with 8 percent raises in 1988-89, Rappahannock’s starting pay will be $1,003 below the average of the five surrounding counties, based on what is being proposed in the neighboring jurisidctions, she noted. “As you can see, we’re not getting anywhere . . . If we’re going to be average, we’ve got to pass Page and Madison and be right in there with Culpeper."

An 8 percent raise in the teachers' pay scale will put starting pay here at $17,607 which compares to proposed salaries of $18,000 in Page, $18,100 in Madison. $18,863 in Culpeper, $18,885 in Warren, and $19,500 in Fauquier, according to Mrs. Kilpatrick’s figures.

She presented the supervisors with her version of a new pay scale that would bring Rappahannock's salaries up to the average for the area. “It’s certainly not free," she acknowledged, reporting that the regrade would cost $88,763, exclusive of fringe benefits. "But it’s not ever going to get any cheaper.” Mrs. Kilpatrick also noted that adoption of her salary scale would boost the county's ranking to the “90s, maybe even the 80s” among the Commonwealth’s

134 school divisions, both in terms of starting salary and maximum salary for experience and advanced degrees. “I hope you’ll consider doing something unprecedented, and that's adding to the budget,” she told the supervisors.

Praise for the budget

“I’d like to publicly applaud Dr. Gangel for the budget he’s put together," said Supervisor Nelson Lane. “I’m not saying I'd not looking

hard at the sabbatical leave, but this is the best budget presentation that’s been given in the eight or nine years I’ve been here. And I think the rest of the board feels the same way, too."

"The whole budget tone, the