Newspaper Page Text
Rogers: QBE Equalizes
Opportunity In State
By KAY ABBOTT
Staff Writer
(Editor’'s Note: Dr. Werner Rofiu.
recently appointed by Gov. Joe Frank Har
ris as state school superintendent, visited
The Summerville News last week. Rogers
commented on a number of togics during
an interview with Publisher Gene E;{y.
Editor Tommy Toles and staff writer ay
Abbott).
THE NEWS: How do you feel about the
Quality Basic Education Act?
. ROGERS: I'm really very excited about
it. I think as we begin to implement e3BE.
it is a giant leap forward in public educa
tion in this state. It's going to provide, over
a period of time, more equalization of op
portunity in education for young people in
our state. That'’s probably the one most im
portant feature of the act: equalization of
opportunity. We're never going to have ex
act equal onortunity in every communi
ty because local communities are going to
continue to contribute to their educational
programs above and beyond what the state
puts in. What ?BE does is offer new t{n'o
grams and it offers a raising of the floor
of the base support programs the state of
fers. The e?utsxzation program is going to
help some local school systems that don't
have the resources locally; in that addi
tional state dollars will be made available
to equalize those education opportunities.
Secondarily, if there’s a single thread that
runs through QBE, it’s the thread of ac
countability. Accountability for school
boards, school superintendents, systems,
schools, teachers and students. It’s built
into the program with the student assess
ment program, the teacher assessment pro
gram, licensing as well as with the com
prehensive standards that are being
developed to measure how well schools are
measuring up to state standards.”
THE NEWS: Are there problems with
special education funding?
ROGERS: There's a problem right now
with the fund:ig for special education that
is being looked at right now. One of the
commitments that the governor made ear
ly on, and I have certainly made, is that
when we've identified the %l(')oblems with
QBE we will do something about them. We
have in essence wiped out the old educa
tion law and comglet.ely replaced it with the
new one. With that kind of chanfie we're
%oing to have some bunalfs in the road.
hat problem with sgci education fun
di:g was identified before Mr. McDaniel
died. We've put together a task force to
make recommendations to the state board
and to the governor. The task force has
been meeting for about a month. The{'re
going out over the school systems to find
out what kind of Eroblems they're having.
We'll take it to the legislature in the sug
plemental budget. We're fioinijto try to
apg)ly some correction so that this coming
school year we will not have to wait for a
full fiscal year to roll around. As I move
around the state that (the special education
funding f)roblem) is the most overriding
concern | hear. The young people deserve
the special education program, and this in
cluded the gifted.
THE NEWS: What advantafes would
your cg’didacy l:avteh to thfe people of Chnt‘;
tooga County over that of your opponent
oofiOGERg: I have a good worE&.é rela
tionship with querintendents. During the
past 7% years I have developed a good
working relationship with school boards
and school board associations. I think that
the fiood relationsl;ilp that we have with
Feop e like Donnie Hayes and his 185 col
eagues around the state will help local
communities and will helg us to move
education in Georgia ahead as rapidly as
we can. The governor, in his selection of me
looked at a number of candidates. He look
ed at a long list o:lroo(rle and whittled it
down until he finally decided that, given
the set of circumstances we were operating
in, I was the most appropriate person to
put in office at that time in our state. I had
worked in the Department of Education,
working close;l[y with Mr. McDaniel, for
seven and a half years. I and my staff had
worked with the Governor's Educational
Review Committee as theg' devel?ed their
recommendations for the QBE. I had
"
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responsibilit&' in the Department of Educa
tion for student assessment, teacher cer
tification, the teacher testing pro?‘am as
well as for developing the comprehensive
standards which are all a part of the ac
countability movement. He wanted
somebody who was close to that and he
also wanted somebody who was electable,
someone he felt woulyd stay in office and
continue to make any needed changes and
reforms beyond QByE over the next 10
years,
THE NEWS: Do you feel
superintendents should be appointed or
elected?
ROGERS: I voted in the constitutional
amendment that they should be appointed.
I still believe that, but I don’t have the lux
ury of debating that point. In order to stay
in office, I have to be elected. I believe it
is a question local communities ought to
look at. They should have the option. I
don't think it ought to be mandateg by the
state for local superintendents. If you look
around the state, we have 115 of 186
superintendents who are elected.
THE NEWS: Do you see a lot of pro
blems with discipline as you travel across
the state? W
ROGERS: Yes, there are problems and
we are working on them. One thing we have
to remember is that schools mirror the
communities they live in. Schools, like
other institutions in society, mirror that
society. We have had over the last few
Kears, a swinging back, because we have
ad a very permissive attitude in this coun
try toward raising children, toward educa
tion in %eneral. and toward society in
general. I think that permissiveness has
come over into the educational communi
ty and you saw that durin% the 70’s in par
ticular. We had fewer mandated programs,
more og‘en campuses — you don'’t see that
as much any more. Now we have increas
ed high school graduation requirements,
Rogers Quotes:
“We have in essence
wiped out the old education
law and completely replac
ed it with the new one. {’)Vith
that kind of change, we're
going to have some bumps
in the road.”
“I think we need to
bring a little more rigor and
a little more discipline into
the whole system.”
(— Dr. Werner Rogers, State
Superintendent of Schools).
tightening of entry requirements into the
university system. The new standards re
(txired by the State Board of Education is
that you're in school five periods every day,
all year. We're tififxtening back up a bit.
You and I know that for a good learning
situation to take place, you've got to have
an atmosphere conducive to that. That
means disci{)line in school, discipline in the
classroom. I think we need to brinfi:elittle
more rifior and a little more discipline into
the whole system. However, there are some
people who will do better in an alternative
situation. There are some alternative pro
fiams that we need to look at and one of
these is mandated in QBE in our budget
for next year. The in-school suspension pro
gram is one way we will keep students who
cause problems in the classroom in school,
but we will isolate them and req&re avery
strict code of conduct of them. We will re
quire them to do academic work and to
work their way back into the regular school
program. Where we have had in-school
sus;ension around the state, funded local
l{l. 0 percent have been successful. We see
that as a way of helping to move this
discipline situation around.
Williams
from front page
review . ..it's an important
and influential part of our
review."”
Chattooga County Commis
sioner Harry Powell supported
the Williams proposal over the
Oak View measure at a public
hearing earlier this year.
The Afipalachinn Agency
was established to determine
health care needs for the Nor
thwest Georgia area and its
recommendations are then for
warded to the State Health
Planning Agency for a
decision.
OAK VIEW PROPOSAL
The Oak View plan called
for expanding the current nur
sinfi home from 90 to 160 beds,
inc uding 34 semi-private
rooms and three private rooms,
A new kitchen would be built,
nk::F with a dining area, A
total of 21,177 ‘;guare feet
would be constructed under the
Oak View plan. More than 33
new personnel would be need
ed for the exransion.
The Williams pr:J)osal
would include 52 skilled care
beds and 24 intermediate care
beds. About 27 personnel
would be required to staff the
Williams home. Funding would
include $364,936 from
Williams and a $1,458,000
commercial loan. ‘
The State Health Planning
Agency is required to make a
decision on the two projects by
no later than Aug. 20.
Hospital Authority Okays
Deficit Budget For 1987
from front page
pharmacist James Jackson on
a new pharmac¥ system for
nursing homes. The srstem is
designed to comp y with
federal regulations. Jackson
was outlinigg a consulting pro
sram offered by one firm and
hairman Williams said other
firms will gresent its proposal
to the Authority during its Ju
ly meetinfi. ¥
A pharmacy consulting
program is designed to ensure
a nursing home is always in full
compliance with federal regula
tions and that dangers to pa
tients from drqu interactions
are minimized. Federal insiec
tors have indicated that they
plan to “tighten up” on inspec
tions of nursing homes in the
future.
Chairman Williams said the
Authorit{' wants to consider
the simplest system possible
which provides the best service
at the least cost.
Mrs. Wollstein gave a brief
report on communications with
Telemed of Chicago, a firm she
said used to provide the
hosrita] with a telephone
analysis of its electrocar
diograms. However, the firm’'s
service deteriorated and the
hospital obtained another com
¥any’s services, she said.
elemed’s contract runs for
several more months, however,
and the firm a;?)arent:i' wants
to agree to a financial settle
ment. Authority members in
dicated they di(f;l‘t favor a set
tlement because they feel
Telemed didn’t comply with
the contract.
Rooms 9 and 14 in the
hozpital have been renovated
and work is continuing on
rooms 10 and 11, Mrs. Vgolls
tein told the Authority. The
ceilings are being lowered,
lighting is being replaced, new
flooring is being installed, new
drapes are being provided and
rooms are being painted. Two
new sets of furniture are due to
arrive in August, she said.
Chattooga pfi;sicians have
donated funds to begin the
renovation project. Work is be
ing done by hospital personnel
and outside contractors as
funds become available.
Chairman Williams remind
ed Authority members that
they should be ready to provide
names at the next meeting to
recommend to the August
term Chattooga County Grand
Jury. The Authority will pro
vide three names for each open
post on the panel and the Jury
will select one of the three to be
on the Authority. Current
Authority members may be
one of the three names
sug’%est.ed.
he terms of Williams and
Authority member Ira Pollard
Jr., who was absent Monday
night due to attendance at the
Georgia Municipal Association
meeting in Savannah, will be
open for ag.;l)ointment by the
Jury late this summer.
{n a report to the Authori
ty, Mrs. %ollst,ein said the
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hospital had an occupancy rate
of 32.05 percent in May, 38.71
percent in April and a rate of
33.94 percent during the year
to May 31.
However, there were 500
emerget;(t:{ room visits in May,
compared to 467 such visits in
Aprfi. Mrs. Wollstein reported.
So far during the year to May
31, there have been 5,245
en}grgency room visits, she
said.
Oak View Nursing Home
had seven admissions in Mzg'
and no discharges, she said.
School Board Plans Tax Rollback
from front page
collected. Hayes saia he would
have preferred that the funds
be J)laced in a special account
and used as somewhat of a
reserve rather than being plac
ed in the 1987 budget. But
Cook said that the board has
not committed some SIOO,OOO
of the anticipated sales tax
money and no problems should
arise due to any shortfall.
The county should receive
its seventh check for roads and
bridges this week, according to
the State Revenue Depart
ment. A total of $631,885 has
been turned over to Commis
sioner Harry Powell so falxl',
averaging $90,269 per month.
If that average Eglds, both
school systems could expect at
least $1,083,000 in revenue
during the next 12 months of
the 1987 fiscal year. Of that
amount, Chattooga schools
would receive around $789,000
— around $39,700 less than the
$828,000 estimated by
Superintendent Hayes.
However, sales tax collections
have traditionally increased in
most Georgia counties from
year to year so it’s possible the
actual collections during the
next 12 months could equal or
exceed the estimated $828,000.
LOCAL PROPERTY TAX
For the current 1986 fiscal
ear (which ends June 30), the
fioard's budget for local proper
ty tax revenue was $1,630,700,
according to Hayes.
However, the superinten
dent said the board’s tax rate
last year of 12.35 mills would
bring in only $1,51,000 — some
sll2,7tgg ?golrt :lf the amount
budgeted for local property tax
revenue. Hayes said a mill in
1985 produced $122,923. The
superintendent also said the
local tax revenue estimate was
based on 100 percent collec
tions — which he said has
never occurred.
Both Cook and Hayes said
the tentative fiscal 1987
budget also anticipates 100
percent property tax
collections.
Cook acknowledged that
the board has never fully
received 100 percent collec
tions but that the panel has
However, there were five
deaths and occupancy was 100
percent. A total of 90 beds was
occupied with no empty beds
reported in M?fi".u
Regort.ed admitted in May
were Carl Blackmon, Minnie
Tallent, Ira Pollard Sr., Mari:
Holbrooks and Bonnie Rut
Craig. Deaths Worted in May
were Lillie aters, Mrs.
| Tallent, Lena Hartline, John
Rogers and Mary Jo Logan.
So far this year, the
hospital has shown a total loss
of $13,761, according to
based each budget for the last
16 to 18 years on 100 percent
collections. Collections. as of
June 9 were 79.52 cent,
Hayes said, not includ’i’xexrg any
back taxes.
“We've done that for years.
They’ve never collected 100
percent but we feel everyone
ought to pay and the tax com
missioner collects some back
taxes every {ear.” Cook said.
The system has had only one
f'ear “in the red” during the
ast 16-18 years, he added.
CUTTING COSTS
Hayes said he has stopped
buying maintenance material,
supplies and cut other expen
ditures except for salaries and
fixed costs trying to keep from
going into the red during the
current fiscal year. He said he
doubted that expenditures of
local property tax money
would reach the $1,518,000
figure before June 30 and
would be far short of the
$1,630,700 budgeted. @
“I think we can close it in
the black,” Hayes said. “We're
goir’fil to try awfully hard.”
e Chattooga schools’ ten
tative budget estimates local
property tax revenues to be
$1,210,471 for the 1987 fiscal
year — some $420,229 less
than the $1,630,700 budgeted
for the 1986 fiscal year, and
some $307,529 less than the
amount Hayes said the 1985
tax rate of 12.35 mills would
actually produce. "
If one discounts any
economic growth in Chattooga
county during the last year and
uses the $122,923 figure that a
mill was estimated to produce
in 1985, it appears possible
that the groperty tax for this
year could be reduced from last
yeitl:lr by between 2.5 and 3.5
mills.
Cook said he expects the
1985 rate of 12.35 mills may
fall between 9 and 10 mills this
year.
The Chattooga County tax
digest isn't expected to be
ready until sometime in late
July or early August. The
board will not be able to set its
1986 property tax rate until
after the digest is completed.
The Summerville News, Thursday, June 26, 1986 . .
reports presented to the
hospital, while the nursing
home has shown revenues over
expenses of $126,456. For the
hospital and nursing home
combined, revenues through
May 31 of this year, exceed, ex
penses by $112,695, the reports
indicate.
Provisional aiproval was
given to three physicians to
practice at the hosJ)ital. They
are Dr. Joy Sanford, Dr. Brian
Petit and Dr. Gulle Channa.
Full hospital privileges
were approved by the Authori
If voters had not approved
the school sales tax, Hayes
said, the Ju-operty tax rate like
ly would have gone up this
year. Requirements of the
Quality Basic Education (QBE)
program have increased the
costs for the system although
it will also be receiving more in
state funds, the superintendent
said. But many of the state
monies will be going for state
mandated programs, he said,
such as hiring more teachers to
reduce class size.
Hayes said every system in
the state is having z.fficultg
anticipating all aspects of QB
because “it‘g a new
... you're going from
apm to oranges; there are dif
ferent procedures, different ac
counting methods.”
QBE Boost
from front page
bring their families with them.
What kind of omortunities do
those families have in educa
tion in that community? If the
community can’t answer that
those f'oung people would have
excellent opportunities in
education, business and in
dustry won’t move in.”
~ Rogers added that the pur
pose ggeQBE is not only to at
tract new industries, ?utfto
prepare young people for
rewarding jobs?n the decades
to come.
““We want to prepare
people for a worthy livm
during their lives; to keep them
in Georga to help our state
grow, s g
Rogers concluded by citing
the importance of the
classroom teacher as the most
vital link in the education
process.
“Qur delivery system is one
teacher and a group of
students,” the superintendent
said. “That is where learning
takes place. Surely, we have
some teachers who need im
provement, but they are in the
7-A
8' for Dr. Marc Wall, Dr.
harles Hillis, Dr. Willie
Howell, Dr. Martha Dickens,
Dr. George Faile and Dr.
Steven Vanderby.
The Authority discussed
ongoia? staff training for
hospi t{::soxmel as well as
possible s codes. No action
was taken on dress codes.
The Authority also approv
ed a change in the bylaws
relating to ph¥sicians {emg
deliquent in filing patient
charts at the hospital.
TRION SYSTEM
Trion School Supt. Bill Kin
zy pointed out that the
;slysbem's check will tfi:rto the
own of Trion ra than
directly to the school sly:wm.
The system is part of the city
government and doesn’t have
independent taxing or revenue
raising authority, he said.
Legislation setting up divi
sion of proceeds from the
school tax between the Trion
3‘l Chatproc:eds oul:iqu oo
es tax w “to
the Town of Trion for tg use
of the Trion Independent
School System ..."
Reductions in the Trion pro
perty tax then are the respon
sibility of the City Council, not
the Board of Education.
minority. The vast majority of
teachers are doing an excelnnt
job and they want to do a bet
ter job. We must do eveythins
we can to attract the best an
the brightest to public educa
tion and to retain those good
people, because the future of
this county, the future of
Georgia, the future of our na
tion is in the hands (:ff{mblic
egucat!nlon. We canm;ltll ord to
shortc my children or
your chmn %h;gBE Act
will move us forward.”
Hartline
Speaker
Lfl:rly resident David
Hartline will be the guest
sßpeaker at the 187th Au'g:m‘ e
riiade Association and the
11t Airborne Division
Association Saturday in
Nashville, Tenn.