Rocky Mount Telegram from Rocky Mount, North Carolina • 3

www.rockymounttelegram.com CAROLINA Rocky Mount Telegram Saturday, September 24, 2005 3 A Teachers at 37 low-perfonning schools get bonuses RALEIGH (AP) Educators in others to diagnose the schools' Howard Lee, chairman of the eyebrows when schools are scor- there, got nearly $200,000 in all -many of the 44 lowest performing weaknesses, then develop plans to N.C. State Board of Education, ing below 60 percent and we are more than any of the other 37-high schools will get at least $750 correct them. said the svstem is desiened to he eivine out bonuses." schools. In the 30 other schools. many of the 44 lowest performing high schools will get at least $750 N.C.

State Board of Education, said the system is designed to be correct them. giving out bonuses." schools. In the 30 other schools, each in extra pay because their In all the schools, passing rates on state exams last year were below 60 percent. Most were below that level the previous year as well. But the educators will get bonuses under the state's ABCs accountability system, which gives credit to schools for students' progress, not passing rates.

fair to all schools. But rewarding teachers at schools singled out for help does raise questions about the state's approach to accountability, he said. "It does beg the question of whether we should relook at how we hand out the Lee said. "I think it does raise Teachers in seven of the 37 high schools each got $1,500 in bonus pay because their schools exceeded the expectations the state set for them. One of those schools, Ben L.

Smith High School in Guilford County, had a passing rate of 45.5 percent. Teachers and other educators educators received the $750 bonuses for meeting state expectations. Educators at seven of the 44' high schools did not get bonuses. Some education leaders cautioned against steps that might hurt low-scoring schools where students make progress. student test scores improved from last year.

More than 31200 teachers and other educators in 37 of the schools will receive a total of $3.2 million in extra pay, even though Gov. Mike Easley is sending teams to those schools and seven Parts of N.C. now in drought MODERATE DROUGHT Voluntary restrictions: Fourteen local governments or water systems serving more than 800,000 people have issued voluntary water restrictions. Not so bad: Despite the drought designation, a state climatologist says conditions could change with' good hard rains over the next three or four weeks. A 2002 drought was wcSrse and more widespread.

mf0 While some municipalities have routine restrictions, Raleigh has approved their voluntary limits in recent days as the arid con-ditions have worsened. Cary, Greensboro and Siler City also are among the municipalities within the drought area. The U.S. Drought Monitor extends the drought conditions as far east as portions of Northampton and Gates counties. Woody Yonts, chairman of the North Carolina Drought Management Council, said the panel could urge more restrictions when it meets again Oct.

5. For now, he said: "We'd like for the people in North Carolina to continue voluntary restriction practices year-round to make sure RALEIGH (AP) North Carolina is officially back in a drought. After up to eight weeks of little or no rain, the U.S. Drought Monitor declared that portions of the eastern Piedmont and some northeast counties are in a moderate drought. That could mean some crop damage, developing water shortages and a higher risk of fires.

Still, the situation isn't considered desperate. The moderate drought label is the second-least severe of the five categories of parched conditions that the monitor can designate. In 2002, near the end of the state's four-year drought, portions of the Piedmont and the mountains were considered in exceptional drought, the worst category. AP photos Above, the boat dock area at Lake Michie in Bahama would normally be floating in water. At right, a low water sign warns boaters at Falls Lake near Creedmoor.

immediate impact. "We need more stuff like that for at least three or four weeks before we get rid of any question" of a drought, Boyles said. But normal rainfall amounts for the coming weeks may extend the drought period. move into the fall and winter," he said. The Drought Monitor designation released Thursday doesn't account for heavy rains that fell Tuesday in the Piedmont, but state water officials -said they likely won't make an people use their water wisely." Autumn is considered a dry season but water use also declines as it turns colder, Associate State Climatologist Ryan Boyles said.

"We don't expect this to be a persistent condition as we Mandatory restrictions were widespread and some systems temporarily ran out of water. Easley seeks FEMA money for Ophelia damage T7 fi Too much month at the end of the money? Come with us on a "Journey to Financial Freedom" Presented by Crown Financial Ministries Saturday, October 15, 2005 8:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Arlington Baptist Church 1500 Bethlehem Koad Rocky Mount, NG 27803 Registration is '20 per person Call 93 7 -PRAY for more information or Register online at www.crown.org businesses," Easley said in a statement. Assessment teams are still in the field looking at damage to homes and businesses, said Renee Hoffman, spokeswoman for the N.C.

Department of Crime Control and Public Safety. It wasn't known Thursday if Ophelia caused enough damage to private property in North Carolina to make residents eligible for direct federal grants and loans. The FEMA decision will be crucial for local governments that must absorb the costs with state and local tax money if they don't get federal aid. RALEIGH (AP) Gov. Mike Easley has asked the federal government to reimburse governments in 37 counties for damage caused by Hurricane Ophelia, saying they and public utilities spent or had damage totaling $16.5 million.

In a lptter sent Thursday to President Bush, Easley asked that the Federal Emergency Management Agency reimburse the counties, towns and public utilities for at least some of what they spent preparing for the Category 1 storm and dealing with its aftermath. "I have determined that this, incident is of such severity and magnitude that response is beyond the capabilities of the state, as well as the affected governments and that supplementary federal assistance is necessary," Easley wrote, AP file photo The manager of Water Sports II in Salter Path, Elizabeth Baker, tries to salvage items from the store after Hurricane Ophelia flooded the store this past week. coast last week, he said. "This figure is preliminary, only covers public response efforts and does not account for individual assistance damage, including damage to homes and using the words of the federal law that grants disaster aids to state and local governments. There will be more bills from the storm, which crawled up North Carolina's frr ffir Curt! You to Join in the Cause wan And so does Serta.

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