Photos by Jared Soares | The Roanoke Times

Roanoke City Public Schools Superintendent Rita Bishop participates Tuesday in a public meeting on the school budget.

Dian Bolling, a parent with three children attending Roanoke schools, supports the school system's bus drivers.

Parents, teachers and school bus drivers urged the Roanoke School Board to exhaust all possible options before turning to staff layoffs and private bus companies to fill a $15 million hole in the school system's budget.

About a dozen people spoke to the board and an audience of roughly 200 people crammed into the cafeteria at William Fleming High School on Tuesday night, an indication that the board's financial deliberations have grabbed the public's attention this year, when budget cuts will have a marked effect on city schools. Most years, budget discussions in Roanoke schools attract few speakers.

The night belonged to the bus drivers and their advocates, who vociferously voiced their opposition to a proposal to outsource the district's transportation system. School officials have said they will consider privatizing the bus system if it saves money. So far, four companies have expressed interest, but none has so far bid for the school system's business.

Bus drivers said they were worried about losing their state retirement plans and other benefits. They also touted the friendly, caring service they provide to students, sometimes going as far as turning around to pick up a child who has missed the bus.

"Will we be allowed to give them that care" under a private bus system, asked Carol Underwood, a bus driver. "We don't want any children left behind whether it's in the classroom or whether it's on the street."

About 40 of the district's roughly 130 bus drivers attended the meeting.

Dian Bolling, a parent of three students, spoke in support of the bus drivers, saying they made her confident that her children were being well cared for.

"These experienced drivers know and care about our children's feelings and needs," she said. "They deserve our respect, our gratitude."

Lorena Wilson, another school parent, said the district's overall budget cuts would harm students.

"It's cutting our children's education. We're cutting our future," she said.

Carol Brash, who is active in the city's PTA council, urged parents to press members of the Roanoke City Council and the Virginia General Assembly, which fund the schools.

Kerry McGraw, a second-grade teacher at Garden City Elementary School, said teachers were feeling "a little uncomfortable about the possibility of layoffs."

At the same time, she pointed to the city's annual job fair, which is still scheduled for Feb. 20 despite the economic downturn.

"Is the upcoming job fair really necessary?" she asked.

School officials have discussed laying off up to 100 teachers, discontinuing an early retirement offer, and two possible school closing plans. One would close Raleigh Court Elementary School and William Ruffner Middle School and disperse students to other area schools. The other would close Raleigh Court, William Ruffner, Fishburn Park Elementary School and Woodrow Wilson Middle School. Raleigh Court and Fishburn students would move into the Woodrow Wilson building, and Woodrow Wilson students would join James Madison Middle School students.

The school board held a meeting at Woodrow Wilson Middle School on Monday and has scheduled meetings at Ruffner and James Madison middle schools today and Thursday to discuss possible closings. Officials also have discussed the layoffs with the Roanoke Education Association, which represents the city's teachers.

As bad as the cuts seem, they could well get worse. The school system's $15 million figure is roughly pegged to an estimated state shortfall of $2.9 billion, which could prove to be overly optimistic. If lawmakers in Richmond have to cut more out of the state's budget, it is likely that public schools throughout the state will see less state money than anticipated.

The school board has until March 15 to adopt a budget and send it to the city council.