A six percent pay hike for teachers and school system employees, a proposed $120 per month increase in the contribution to employee group health insurance benefits, four new personnel positions and the purchase of 10 new school buses are the major items in a proposed $47.73 million 2002-2003 school budget package.
An appropriation of $12,968,593 from the Halifax County Board of Supervisors will be needed to support the proposed $47.7 million budget.
That is $1,020,206 less than the $13,988,799 that was appropriated by the county to fund the current year's $43.4 million school budget.
The figure represents a decrease of 7.29 percent in local dollars for the proposed 2002-2003 budget.
The total budget figure of $47,733,475 represents a 9.9 percent increase over the current year's budget.
Proposed salary hikes, the proposed increase in the School Board's contribution toward employee group health insurance premiums, the purchase of 10 new school buses and the debt service on the school construction projects that are near completion account for the majority of the budget increase.
The reversion of the county's composite index to .2380 from .3706, results in a shift of approximately $4 million from local funding to state funding in next year's budget.
Halifax County is expected to receive $29,407,663 in state funds next year, a total that represents an increase of $5,334,376 over the current year.
About $4 million of that increase is a result of the change in the county's composite index.
Also affecting the revenue side of the proposed budget is a drop of the school system's average daily membership from 5,902 to 5,875 for the 2002-2003 school year.
Average daily membership (ADM) is one of the factors state officials use in determining the amount of state funds that are distributed to a locality.
School system officials unveiled a proposed 2002-2003 budget package totaling $47,421,282 Thursday night.
That package called for $12,656,400 in local funds.
The proposed draft budget showed the School Board proposing to increase its contribution to employee group health insurance premiums from the current level of $220 per month to $300 per month.
The proposed $300 per month figure for 10 months makes the school system's proposed figure $3,000 per year.
School Superintendent Dennis Witt pointed out that the county pays $3,420 per year ($285 per month for 12 months) toward each employee's group health insurance premiums.
"Why don't we do what the county is doing?" asked School Board member D.H. McDowell Jr.
"I'd like to see us go up at least another $20 on the health insurance," McDowell added.
That coupled with information that the school system will likely be facing a 15 percent to 20 percent insurance premium rate hike prompted further discussion that resulted in a unanimous vote to hike the School Board's proposed contribution from $300 per month to $340 per month.
Increasing the contribution to $300 per month results in an increase of $623,000 in that item in the school budget, driving it up to a total of $1,880,838.
The consensus of the School Board was that it wished to minimize the effect of the expected 15 to 20 percent hike in insurance premiums.
The school system provided data which showed how an employee with a six percent pay hike would fare facing a 20 percent increase in insurance premiums.
If the employee was carrying insurance only for himself or herself, the employee's bottom line increase in monthly take home pay would be $9.53.
If the employee had the employee/child insurance coverage, the employee would take home $30.64 per month less than what he or she is taking home now.
The information showed that if the employee had the family coverage, the employee would take home $96.18 less per month than he or she is making now.
In the area of transportation, school system officials had included the purchase of eight new school buses and the continuation of the lease-purchase of 2001-2002 school buses which, when combined, produced a $388,000 increase in the proposed budget over the current year's budget.
The School Board, however, unanimously voted to purchase 10 new school buses rather than eight.
A new bus carries an estimated $48,500 price tag, making the increase in the budget proposal rise to $485,500.
"I just don't want us to get behind," said School Board member Alan Gravitt.
"If it (the decision to purchase eight buses) was done just for budget reasons, I don't think it's justified.
"Will things (the financial picture) be better two years from now?" questioned Gravitt.
"We don't know that."
School Board member G.C. Ratliff added, "I'd rather get the two buses now than to get ourselves into a situation where we may need to purchase 15 or 20 buses one year."
The school system officials also included funds to add two reading specialists to the supervisory staff.
Funding was included to add a SASI (School Administrative Student Information) specialist to serve Halifax County Middle School and Halifax County High School.
"This (the SASI program) is a very powerful student information program that we need to learn how to use," Witt explained.
"The whole program needs to be tweaked. We need this position."
The board also proposed that a HVAC technician be added to the school system's maintenance staff.
"We have only one high level HVAC person on staff," Witt told the School Board.
Noting that there is a lot of HVAC equipment in the school system to maintain, Witt said the additional person is needed.
"This is a matter of taking care of business," he said.
While the budget package included additional staff, it also included a reduction of two teaching positions.
The proposed 2002-2003 budget package also includes $712,000 for debt service for the school system's Phase I capital construction project in the operating budget.
The proposed 2002-2003 budget package will be available for the School Board's April 8 meeting.
A public hearing on the proposed 2002-2003 budget will be held that night.
The School Board is scheduled to meet with the Board of Supervisors on April 11 to review the proposed budget and discuss the school system's needs.

The Halifax County School Board will ask the Board of Supervisors to appropriate $1 million of the $4 million that the county will receive this year as a result of the composite index reversion to the school system's coffers to cover a proposed series of capital improvement projects.
"We're asking for $1 million for capital improvements and giving $3 million back to the county," said School Superintendent Dennis Witt.
"I feel that is reasonable."
The list of capital projects the school system is proposing in the current budget year include work at the Halifax County middle and high schools.
One of the projects is a $275,000 project to renovate the track surface at Tuck Dillard Stadium and to reset the fencing so that the track is inside the fence.
Halifax County High School has, for several years, been unable to stage a track and field meet here due to the poor condition of the track.
In addition, Halifax County Middle School has seen a reduction in the number of track and field meets here and lost the ability to host the annual conference championship meet as a result of the poor condition of the track.
The project list also includes the construction of six new tennis courts at Halifax County High School at a price tag of $250,000.
With the Virginia High School realigning its sports seasons in September, the high school boys and girls tennis teams will play tennis in the same season.
This is the last year that the girls played in the fall and the boys played tennis in the spring.
With both high school tennis teams competing in the same season, the addition of the new courts will also alleviate concerns regarding practice times as the courts at Halifax County Middle School could be used for practice.
While the School Board was in agreement that the high school needed new courts, board member G.C. Ratliff was concerned that money was not included to repair or resurface the courts at Halifax County Middle School.
Attempts have been made to fill large cracks in the court surfaces at the middle school, but the court surface remains rough and uneven in many places, according to players.
"We're going to need to use those courts at least for practice," said Ratliff.
"People in the community also use those courts."
School Board Chairman Steve Anderson added that there have been some preliminary discussions about the middle school adding a tennis program to its sports program.
Following that round of discussion the School Board decided that it would attempt to add approximately $85,000 to its projects list to cover the cost of resurfacing the middle school's courts.
The capital projects list also included a proposal for a $35,000 to install lights at the middle school baseball field.
However, that proposal hit a snag which ended with the School Board asking school system officials to look into the possibility of using that money to construct a new girls softball field instead.
"Why did the guys get it (the money) and the girls didn't?" asked School Board member Patricia Nelson.
Witt said that the request for lights for the baseball field was the only request that had been received from the middle school athletic department.
"That's not surprising," mused School Board member Jason Parker.
Board member Alan Gravitt pointed out that about a year ago officials of Dixie Softball approached the School Board with a request to partner with the school board in constructing a new girls softball field near the tennis courts.
That plan never got off the ground.
Upon the insistence of Parker and Nelson, the School Board asked school system officials to look into the matter of constructing a new girls softball field at the middle school as an alternative to spending the money to light the boys baseball field.
Another item on the proposed capital improvements list is the renovation and repair of the remaining six restrooms at Halifax County Middle School.
Witt said the cost will be approximately $40,000 per restroom, with an estimated total price tag of $240,000.
The renovation of one of the school's restroom facilities is in progress. The cost of that renovation is not included in this project.
At Halifax County High School, the capital improvements project list includes a $75,000 expenditure to replace all of the carpet in the school's hallways with floor tile.
Witt said that in addition to the tile being easier to maintain, the move should ease concerns about the air quality in the building.
In a related item, the list includes $40,000 to replace the carpet in the lobby at Halifax County High School with a newer, higher grade carpet.
School Board member Arthur Reynolds asked the body to consider an estimated $10,000 expenditure to upgrade the quality of the sound system in the Halifax County High School gym.
Witt and the School Board agreed that work is needed to improve the sound system in the high school gym, which is used for school sports events as well as other events including graduation.
The school superintendent told Reynolds that there may be a possibility that the money for that work could be found somewhere within the general budget.
Witt pointed out that all of the proposed projects are very much needed.
"There is nothing luxurious or out of line when you talk about any of these things," Witt said.
"We've been needing these things for several years."
The School Board will discuss its proposals with the Board of Supervisors when they sit down in a joint work session on April 11.
That work session will include a discussion and review of the school system's proposed record $47.7 million 2002-2003 school budget package as well as a discussion on this list of capital projects that school system officials hope to get into the current year's budget.

By KEITH STRANGE
A three-judge panel in Richmond has upheld the conviction of Marquis Lovelle White, offering a bit of closure to Commonwealth's Attorney John Greenbacker, who was accused of prosecutorial misconduct and abuse of power in relation to the trial.
Robert Morrison, who served as White's defense counsel in the trial, declined to comment yesterday, saying only that there are several avenues in the court of appeals that are not yet exhausted.
At the center of the controversy is a story that appeared in this newspaper on June 23, 2000, under the headline "Attorney Charges Misconduct Against Greenbacker's Office."
Greenbacker was incensed by the story because he said he wasn't offered the opportunity to respond to the allegations.
"When defamatory rubbish such as this is published, it is always the right thing to do to affford the persons defamed the opportunity to rebut," Greenbacker said Friday.
"Without rebuttal, these allegations were extremely damaging to me, my office, and Petra Blanchard's reputations," he added.
Morrison charged that Greenbacker denied White his right to a speedy trial when White refused to sign the papers that would have released him from jail.
Under Virginia law, a person must be tried within five months of the finding of probable cause if he is held continuously in custody.
If he is not held in continuous custody, the statute allows nine months to try the person.
Had White remained in jail until his trial, he would have been held two days too long.
When White, who was 20 at the time, was arrested for the murder of Phillip Lutenter Carrington on October 4, 1999, he was initially held without bail.
During the subsequent preliminary hearing, a $200,000 secured bond was set, but was never posted by White.
When Greenbacker learned that charges against White could be dropped due to speedy trial issues, he filed a motion to have White released on a personal recognizance bond.
"When we found out that the case had been set for trial at the docket call for a date that was beyond the five-month time period, we filed a motion to have him released on a personal recognizance bond that would have gotten him out of jail," Greenbacker said yesterday.
White was ordered to be released on the personal recognizance bond by Judge Wellons, but refused to sign the papers that would have set him free.
Greenbacker's office, recognizing that White was attempting to stay in jail to violate the five-month rule, told the magistrate that in his opinion the signature was not required for release, according to Greenbacker.
Morrison felt that Greenbacker was violating Judge Wellons' order by attempting to have White released.
"Judge Wellons was not able to be reached, so Morrison contacted Judge Osborne," Greenbacker said.
In a conference call with Judge Osborne that afternoon, Morrison and Greenbacker decided to hold White in jail until a formal hearing the following morning.
However, the magistrate had already released White based on Greenbacker's statement that the signature was not necessary.
"Morrison took the position that my getting White released was prosecutorial misconduct and abuse of power," the prosecutor said yesterday.
When asked about the potential repercussions of prosecutorial misconduct and abuse of power, Greenbacker said that he "would be disbarred, and rightfully so," if the allegations were found to be true.
After White's trial and subsequent conviction, Morrison's office filed an appeal to the Virginia Court of Appeals based on those allegations.
After nearly two years of waiting for the case to be heard, the published ruling was handed down last week.
"My office has been advised of the March 19, 2002, published decision of a panel of the Virginia Court of Appeals affirming the second-degree murder and illegal firearm use convictions of Marquis White, in which the court ruled White forfeited his claim that the Commonwealth denied him his right to a speedy trial when he refused to sign the simple bonding papers that would have released him from jail," Greenbacker said, reading from a prepared statement Friday.
"This is the first and probably the final step towards restoring the good names of myself and my staff after the publications of June, 2000, which contained false allegations concerning our handling of White's case," he continued.
"In short, the claims made at the time that I and Ms. Blanchard (Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney) disobeyed court orders, corruptly brought about the violation of others, and intentionally violated Mr. White's constitutional rights are and always have been utterly false," Greenbacker concluded.
The next recourse for White is an appeal for hearing by the Virginia Supreme Court, Greenbacker said.
"If he does, I believe his appeal will fail there as well," he added.
White is currently serving an eight-year sentence in the Virginia correctional system. Upon his release in 2008 he will be on supervised probation for one year.
"Although this is not the first time we have been subjected to scandalous allegations by members of the defense bar, we have never engaged in the sort of corrupt activity attributed to us in the White case," Greenbacker said.
"Frankly, I feel at the very least we are due an apology."

The Tobacco Commission's Southside Economic Development Committee deferred recommendations for funding for The Prizery, an agricultural marketing center and funding for tobacco barn conversions during its meeting here last week.
The committee was reviewing economic development applications submitted this year to develop funding recommendations for presentation to the full Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission in April.
Action on the three South Boston-Halifax County requests is expected at an April 11 meeting.
The Prizery is seeking $800,000; the agricultural marketing center is seeking $200,000; a tobacco barn conversion request sought $312,000 but that request was referred to the executive committee of the Tobacco Commission before a decision will be made, Joe Morgan, county administrator, said Friday.
The Economic Development Council, Halifax County Board of Supervisors, South Boston Town Council and Halifax Town Council endorsed the five projects presented Wednesday, including the three that were deferred.
Also on the county's list of five, the Riverstone Technology project, seeking $1,190,764, and Tuck Airport, seeking $210,000 for terminal and office construction.
Both of those projects gained the commission's recommendations Wednesday.
The Southside Economic Development Committee also took action on two applications at least some local officials did not know were coming before the committee, and one of those gained double its funding request.
The South Boston-Halifax County Museum sought $50,000 in Tobacco Commission funds but was recommended for $100,000. Earlier this year the museum had sought, but failed to gain, $50,000 in funding from the General Assembly.
The Halifax Educational Foundation also entered a request for $524,000, according to Morgan. This request was carried over to the April 11 meeting for clarification regarding proposed use of funds for education programs.
"However, during the committee meeting there were indications that other communities were proposing and getting positive recommendation for funding of similar programs," added Morgan.
The total amount available for the county is $2,713,512, and that amount was applied for through the county and towns' endorsed request to the commission, Morgan said last week.
"Most counties have asked for what is allocated, so the challenge that Halifax County has presented to the commission is there have collectively been more applications than funding," observed the county administrator.
Delegate Clarke Hogan, who serves on the Southside Economic Development Committee, said that a number of items were "put off" to seek additional information.
"We have until the April 10 meeting in Roanoke," Hogan said yesterday.
"None of the recommendations made there (on Wednesday) are binding," Hogan added.
The delegate also said that "regardless of what happens, the Halifax County allotment will stay in the Halifax County kitty."
The funds could be carried over to next year, he added.

A Virginia State Police checkpoint on Berry Hill Road Friday resulted in the arrest of two Halifax County men on a variety of drug-related charges.
David L. Sims, 38, was arrested and charged with DUI and driving on a suspended sentence after the 1986 Ford Tempo was pulled over in the parking lot of Berry Hill Presbyterian Church.
The passenger in the vehicle, Cliffton Stephen Terry, 23, was arrested after a two-hour chase and charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana.
Terry ran from the scene and the ensuing pursuit included members of the State Police Tactical Team, the State Police K-9 Unit, the South Boston Police Department, Halifax Sheriff's Department and the state police helicopter.
"Terry was apprehended in a field off of Old Grubby Road by members of the Tactical Team and the K-9 unit," said Trooper P.W. Leath.
Leath added that Terry was taken into custody without incident.
"The K-9 is a tracking and patrol/attack dog, but the suspect didn't resist arrest, so he was not bitten or harmed by the dog," he said.
Approximately $400 worth of cocaine and a small quantity of marijuana was observed being tossed from the 1986 Ford Tempo as it approached the checkpoint, Leath said.
"As I was checking the driver of the vehicle, Terry jumped from the car and fled the scene," Leath said.
Terry was apprehended at approximately 12:45 p.m. by members of the Tactical Team, including Trooper L.G. Perkins, Sgt. J.L. Hopkins, Trooper B.E. Jones and K-9 officer Ben.
Leath and other officers gathered the narcotics and drug paraphernalia from the roadside.
"We expect other charges to be filed in connection with the incident," he said.

It didn't matter that frigid temperatures and a blustery breeze made it feel like temperatures were hovering near the freezing point when Halifax County opened its season here Friday against Patrick Henry.
The Comets had more than enough heat in their bats and in the arm of senior hurler Justin King to get the job done.
Halifax County launched its season in fine fashion, pounding the Patriots with eight hits, five for extra bases, to score an 11-1 win in a game that was halted by a 10-run slaughter rule after four and a half innings.
"I told the guys before the game that one of things we have to concentrate on doing is get a good jump on a team," said Comets coach Kelvin Davis.
"I thought we hit the ball well from the beginning of the game all the way through the game. That's what we've got to continue to do. This ball club is going to put the ball in play. We're not going to have many strikeouts.
Put the ball in play is exactly what the Comets did.
The Comets had eight hits in the game including four doubles and a triple. Only three Comets batters struck out in the contest.
Six different players had hits for the Comets. Three of the hits came with two strikes on the batter.
Right fielder Chase Hetzell had two hits, both of which were doubles, and drove in three runs. First baseman Casey Owen also had two hits, one of which was a double.
Reserve second baseman Drew Lewis had a two-RBI double in the fourth inning and shortstop Jason Lloyd had a run-scoring triple in the second inning.
Centerfielder Brent Long chipped in a base hit as did second baseman Chad Conner.
On the mound, King turned in a solid night's work, allowing only one run, four hits and three walks while fanning eight Patrick Henry batters.
"I thought King did a wonderful job," said Davis.
"He kept the guys off balance. He started a little slow but I think the weather had something to do with that. He really looked strong."
Friday's Western Valley District opener against the Patriots loomed as a tough task for both the Comets players and coaches.
But it was a game that Davis and his team wanted very much to play.
After having had a scrimmage game and the originally scheduled season opener against non-district opponent Park View called off due to rain, the Comets suddenly found themselves having to face Friday's district opener with less preparation than they expected and would have liked.
As the rain continued late into the week, there was some doubt even as late as Thursday afternoon as to whether or not the Comets' field would be in good enough condition to play the game.
However, the Comets' coaching staff worked long and hard Thursday and Friday to get the field into playing condition. Their efforts paid off.
The game was played and the Comets staked themselves to an early lead in the Western Valley District standings.
"These guys wanted to play," said Davis.
"We had guys out here helping us to get the field ready to play. These guys were really ready to play."
The Comets jumped on Patrick Henry early with Owen lacing a two-out single to left centerfield and Hetzell scoring him with a double. Jonathan Milam reached base on an error that allowed Hetzell to score and put the Comets up 2-0.
Halifax added four runs in the second inning, which started with Wes McDowell being hit by a pitch. Long hit into a fielder's choice that resulted in McDowell being forced out at second base. A triple by Lloyd scored Long to make the score 3-0.
Owen reached base on an error on a third strike and a two-RBI double by Hetzell pushed the Comets' lead to 5-0. Hetzell scored on an error on the play to give the Comets a 6-0 edge.
King walked to kick off the bottom of the third inning and scored on a Patrick Henry miscue that occurred when Lloyd reached base on a passed ball on the third strike. Owen followed with a base hit and Owen scored the second run of the inning on a wild pitch to put the Comets up 8-0 after three innings.
The Comets added three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to run the score up to 11-0.
Milam reached base on an error and moved to third with the help of two wild pitches. King walked to put two runners on base. A double by Lewis plated Milam and King and a base hit by Long scored Lewis to give the Comets their final run of the game.
Patrick Henry scored its lone run in the top of the fifth inning with the help of a walk with one out that was followed by a base hit.
The run scored on a fielder's choice on the next play but it wasn't enough to keep the game going past that point.

Thomas Wendell Walker

Thomas Wendell Walker, 63, of 6041 Huell Matthews Hwy., South Boston, died March 21 at the home of his daughter.
Mr. Walker was born in Halifax County on July 17, 1938, the son of the late William Thomas Walker and Rosemond Whitt Walker and was married to Evelyn Lorene Jackson Walker. He was a member of Harmony United Methodist Church and was in the National Guard. Mr. Walker was an autobody/mechanic manager with Walker Auto Repair and worked at Cole's Gun Shop.
Survivors include his mother of Virginia Beach; two daughters, Gail Dickerson Epps and Wendy Walker Cole, both of South Boston; three brothers, Allen Walker and Clifford Walker of South Boston and William Walker of Virginia Beach; and five grandchildren, Brandy and Lesley Epps, Morgan, Thomas and Kimberly Cole.
Funeral services for Mr. Walker were held at Brooks Funeral Home on March 23 at 2 p.m. with the Rev. H.V. Conner conducting the service. Burial was held at Black Walnut Baptist Church Cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Halifax County Cancer Association, PO Box 875, South Boston or Halifax Regional Hospice, 2204 Wilborn Avenue, South Boston.

Thelma Hendricks Cage

Thelma Hendricks Cage, 72, of 2063 Alchie Lane, Nathalie, died March 20 at Union Memorial Hospital in Union, NJ.
Mrs. Cage was born in Halifax County on May 25, 1929, the daughter of the late Arthur Hendricks and Magnolia Crosier Hendricks. She was formerly married to James L. Cage Sr. and was a member of Millstone Baptist Church.
Survivors include her children, Rashan J. Cage of Bloomfield, NJ, Rosa M. Thomas-Jean of East Orange, NJ, Gwen L. Henderson of Memphis, TN, James L. Cage Jr. of Stone Mountain, GA, Deborah C. Bailey of Piscataway, NJ, Charles O. Rasheed of Roselle, NJ and Cornell Cage of Chatham, NJ; 19 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; one brother, Benjamin Hendricks of Philadelphia, PA; and her stepmother, Louise Hendricks of Nathalie.
Funeral services for Mrs. Cage were held March 24 at 2 p.m. at Millstone Baptist Church with the Rev. Chester Spruill officiating. Burial followed in the church cemetery.

Timothy Donovan Stevenson

Timothy Donovan Stevenson, three years old, of 1207 Alphonse Dairy Road, South Boston died March 24 at his home.
He was born in Jacksonville, NC on January 28, 1999, the son of Timothy Edward Stevenson and Janna Joyner Stevenson.
Survivors include his mother of South Boston; his father of Monterey, CA; stepfather, Harvey G. Spencer Jr. of South Boston; maternal grandfather, the Rev. Joe Lynn Joyner of Cordova, SC; his paternal grandmother, Ruby Kiper of Junction, IL; and his paternal grandfather, Paul Stevenson of KY. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother, Linda Young Joyner.
Graveside services for Master Stevenson will be held March 27 at Masonic cemetery in Amory, MS at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Joe Lynn Joyner conducting the service.
The family will receive friends this evening, March 25, from 7:00 until 8:00, at Powell Funeral Home, South Boston.