| Anna L. Mallory

anna.mallory@roanoke.com, 381-8627

PULASKI -- Some Pulaski County educators are pleading that the county's school board end funding to the Southwest Virginia Governors School.

They argue the specialty school may have outlived its purpose and that with job cuts and school consolidation on the table, it's an expense the division can't afford.

"It's a wonderful thing to have, but it's a luxury," said Shannon Turner, president of the Pulaski County Education Association, which represents about 330 of the county's teachers and staff.

The governors school is a half-day program for students who want to specialize in science, math or technology. It's funded through tuition and state dollars, but Pulaski County funds it upkeep, maintenance and payroll.

Shannon said about half the association's members, as well as other school system employees, agree with her. She sent her message to school board members in letters earlier this year, but on Monday, she told them publicly.

"At least divide the cost among the counties," she said.

Governors school administrators prepare their budget based on the number of students who plan to attend from each of the localities it serves. This academic year, they had 160 students from 14 schools. Each school division then pays the $3,650 tuition per student it sends. In addition to tuition, Pulaski County also pays for upkeep of the building -- the former Northwood Elementary School -- and technology costs. Even if a student drops out, the school division still has to pay the tuition.

In 1973, Gov. Linwood Holton created the first governors schools, which were summer residential programs. Twelve years later, the state launched year-round programs, and in 1990, the school in Pulaski County opened for students across Southwest Virginia. It's one of eight statewide.

School board members have not said whether they will consider the teachers' proposal, but they have discussed recommendations to cut the number of students they send to the academy by six juniors, or 25 percent, next year. That would bring the total from this year from 44 to 38. Doing so would also mean a $21,900 savings based on the 2009 rate of $3,650 per student, according to data from budget director Chris Stafford.

He could not provide Pulaski's total expenses for the school, and repeated calls the school's director and assistant director were not returned.

It's unclear just what a financial pull-out from Pulaski County would mean to the future of the school. Pulaski County serves as its fiscal agent and sends it the most students, but the state does pay for portions of the operating costs.

For example, Pulaski expects to receive $406,190 next fiscal year from the state to fund the school, according to the Virginia Department of Education.

But Pulaski's role is essential.

"I think it would be a significant blow," said Thomas Brewster, interim superintendent of instruction for Pulaski County.

The division has suggested budget cuts that could mean at least 77 job cuts under worst-case scenario state funding. However, late Thursday, school officials received updated revenue projections. The Pulaski County Board of Supervisors also have advertised a 6 percent property tax rate increase that they've told officials would be sent to schools. A meeting on that proposal is scheduled for Monday, as is a school board budget hearing.

Pulaski County High School teacher Bill Benson, a 30-year educator whose two sons attended the governors school, said the school board needs to think about the masses that could lose jobs instead of the few students who attend the specialty school.

"I think there's a bad taste in the mouth of people when it comes to the governor's school right now," Benson told the board this week.

Instead, Benson suggests focusing on the science needs in the district's schools or sending the more advanced students directly to New River Community College for dual-enrollment courses.

"If we send them to the community college, maybe we could send a different variety of kids to the community college," he said.