www.newrivervalley.com

Until today, Radford City school officials had planned to recommend changes to its math offerings in the fall. Lorraine Crawford, the district's director of instruction, planned to recommend to school board members on Tuesday that a two-part Algebra I course be eliminated in the fall, along with another math credit.

Instead students would take an Algebra Functions and Data Analysis course.

It was a move toward progress because the state plans to axe the courses -- eventually. In October, school division leaders were told unoiffically that it was going to be eliminated, but without a date.

So, Crawford started drawing up the plans. The new course, which some districts already have, would have been designed to get more students ready to take Algebra two. As it stands now, "students who either don’t like math or don’t feel like they’re strong in it, won’t go past geometry,” Crawford said.

But today, state math leaders told Crawford they don't have a specific date on when the changes will go through with the changes, so Crawford plans to withdraw her recommendations to the board. She cited budget constrains and the affect on schedule for holding back.

"We at least have our game plan in place when they do make the change, Crawford said.

She does still plan to ask the board to approve a personal finance elective.

A story in Thursday's Current explained that Montgomery County Schools would lose funding for the equivalent of 105 support staffing positions if Gov. Tim Kaine's proposed plan for budget reductions is approved.

The headline read, "School system prepares for staffing cuts."  Apparently that's led several people to question whether they'll be getting a pink slip, said Assistant Superintendent Walt Shannon.

"We couldn't lose 105 support positions. We couldn't run our buildings. We don't have enough custodians," he said today.

Kaine has suggested putting a cap on support staff, such as custodians, clerical workers and non instructional administrators. That cap would mean the state would only pay for the equivalent of 182 support positions.

In the past, it had paid for 284.44. Montgomery County's school has 285.76 support positions, according to figures provided to the school board. The Virginia Association of Counties says that Montgomery County has 287 support positions, which is where the number published in the Current came from.

Shannon said he wants to allay fears of employees contacting him and the school board. On Tuesday, the board will start looking at ways to reduce their budget and upcoming budget requests. That could mean leaving teaching and/or support positions vacant once people leave.  In other words, attrition.

Shannon said the county schools usually lose between 80 to 100 positions through attrition each year.

And, school officials can go back at least 15 years since the last actual lay offs.

What do you think of the budget crunching?

A former Montgomery County schools library assistant is suing the school board, alleging religious harrassment.

In a federal court filing, Judith Scott said that her immediate supervisors at Blacksburg Middle School prayed for her, left "praise" notes on her desk more than once and asked her to take time from work to attend a religous conference.

Court documents say that Scott refused the religous overtones, but that her work environment became hostile.

You can see the whole complaint here.