The Washington herald., 1913-07-13
Last District Appropriation
Act Makes Provision for
Educational Work Among
Children.
BY ELBERTINE WESTON.

In the closing hours of the 'Sixty-sec-
: ond Congress the long-delayed appro'
priation bill providing for the expenses
of the District Of Columbia for the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1914, was passed
: and Immediately signed by President
: Taft. The progress of the bill had been
greatly retarded by riders" tackled on
it. The public utility law and the excise
law seriously handicapped legislation for
- the Districts needs.
As finally framed and approved, the
total OF the act covered Sl,3S3.7S9. the
apportionment among the several inter-
ests affected being specifically designated
in itemized detail. The public schools of
the District of Columbia will receive
s2,956.Os0 for maintaining and operating
a system of education for the 6, 600 chill
dren who attend its schools.
Each year the expanding system re-
quires a necessary outlay for buildings
and grounds. the budget for the current
fiscal year being s5s7.00O. More than half
of this-S300. 00o-has been set aside for
beginning work on the new Central High
School TO be located north of Florida
Avenue on the commanding site oppo-
C.
The appropriation will be used for grad
ing, building walls. and constructing a
stadium for athletes. drills. and outdoor
sports. When completed the new high
school will be triumph of architectural
skill. and Washington will have the
finest high school building in America
On the site, already purchased, at
First and n Streets work will soon be
commenced on the new NJ Street High
nd ~ md
dollars of the current appropriation is
available for this purpose. The building
will cost $4,000 and probably will house
what Superintendent w. NJ. Davidson
terms a combination high school," in
GLIDING a business course as we'll as
academic work. For the equipment of
the Colored Normal School. now in the
process of construction on Howard Uni
versity Hill, $4,000 is the amount desig-
mated. The Birney School is to have a
siX-room addition costing s5l. 600. site
costing $500 is to be purchased for an
annex to the John F. Cook School. and
the Briggs School is to have additional
ground. valued at $500.
The school at Congress Heights will
have a four-room addition, costing
S3S. eco: ground will De purchased adj
joining the Petworth School, at a cost
of $1,000. and $1,000 will be used to in
vest in property to accommodate added
facilities in the Woodbridge and Langdon
districts.
Salaries Average High.
Salaries of officers and teachers in the
public schools of Washington average,
approximately. the same as those IN
cities of the same class throughout the
country, Boston, Newark. and a few
others being slightly in advance Of the
Capital. During the coming year almost
10000 will be expended in salaries, or
more than two-thirds of the entire ap-
preparation will be used to compensate
those who are personally responsible for
the educational welfare of the children
Of the District.
The aggregate of officers salaries for
the coming year will be $4,000. Included
in this aggregate are the salaries of the
superintendent Of schools and his two
assistants for white and colored schools.