Evening star., 1915-12-27
Three Cities Found to Spend
i More for Educational
Purposes.
WASHINGTON is SECOND
IN TEACHERS SALARIES
Figures for Eighteen Municipalities
Shown in Report of Russell Sage
Foundation Expert.


Washington ranks twelfth among
eighteen principal cities of the United
States in expenditures for administra-
tion purposes in it's public schools, and
fourth in expenditures for educational
purposes.
This is set forth in comparative
study of expenditures for public
schools in the leading eighteen cities.
just completed and made public by the
survey committee of the Cleveland
Foundation. The comparison is made
in report entitled. Financing the
Public Schools. prepared by Earle
Clark. statistician of the Russell Sage
Foundation. The report is one of
series showing the results of survey
of Cleveland's public schools. conducted
under the direction of DIR. Leonard L.
AyreS.
The statistics show that Washington
spends more than the average city
for the operation and maintenance OF
its schools. but less than the average
for improvements in its school plant.
Washington Is Fourth.
With the cities ranked according to
expenditure per inbabitant for the
operation and maintenance of the
place in the group; but. with the cities
ranked according to expenditure for
operation and maintenance per $1,000
of taxable wealth. Washingtons position
is seventh. For the operation and main
tenance of schools Washington spends
less per unit of wealth than per unit of
population.
The report says that comparisons
based on population and wealth are
less significant than comparisons based
the average number of children in
daily attendance Expenditure per child
in average daily attendance shows the
relation between expenditure and the
work that is actually being done.
Measured by this criterion, Washington
ranks eighth among the cities in eX-
penditure for operation and mainte!
nance. and thirteenth in expenditure for
new buildings and other improvements
in the school plant The city spending
most for operation and maintenance
per child in average daily attendance is
Los Angeles, while Baltimore spends
least. In expenditure for improve
ments San Francisco leads the cities.
while New<Orleans stands at the foot
of the list
that the total expenditure for opera
tion and maintenance of the school is
made up of number of items and
fhat high rank in expenditure for all
tenance may be either due to large
disbursements. for some one item De-
taHed hSureS are given relative to ex-
penditures in the different cities for the
nine principal purposes of operation
and maintenance.
Items of Expenditure.
Washington spends less than the ay-
erage city for six of the nine purposes
or operation and maintenance, and
more for the remaining three The
items for which Washington's expendi-
Iure is less than the average are: Of
nee OF board and other business offices
superintendent's Office. salaries and ex-
penses of principals. stationery and
other instruction supplies. wages of
Janitors and other employees, mainte-
nance repairs.
The items in which Washington's ex-
penditure is more than those of the
average city are: Salaries and ex-
penses OF supervisors. salaries of teach
ers. fuel.
In Washington, as in all the cities
dealt with, teachers salaries consti-
tute the largest and most important
single item of expenditures. This item
consumed, for the group of cities con-
sidered together. nearly two-thirds of
the total expense of operation and
maintenance. and over one-half of the
combined expenditure for operation
ana maintenance and average annual
outlay The ranking of Washington as
10 expenditure for salaries of teach
ers is claimed to be more Significant
than the citys position according To
expenditure for some other purposeses.
Spends $36.97 Per Capita.
1t appears from the statistics that
Washington spends much more than
the average city for teachers salaries.
The per ca5ita reported is S3697. while
the average for the group of cities is
S3i.61 In this item of expenditure
washington occupies second place
among the cities for which rankings
are given.
The report points out that a low
expenditure for teachers salaries per
enid IN average daily attendance NAV
be due either to the employment of
small number of teachers, with over
crowded classes. or to low salaries per
teacher. or to a combination of these two
causes. In Washington the number of
children per class is smaller than the
average in elementary schools, and
also smaller than the average in sec
ondary schools. The average number
OF pupils per teacher in Washington's
elementary schools is 2S.6, as compar-
ed with an average of 32.6 for the
average number OF pupils per teacher
In secondary schools is 1873, as COM
pared with EOS for all the cities
Salaries of Teachers.
The statistics of teachers salaries
show that in Washington teachers in
elementary schools are paid much less
than in the average city, while teach
ers in secondary schools are paid de-
cidedly more than in the average city.
The average salary in elementary
schools is $3.50. for Washington as
compared with ss4s for the group of
cities. The average salary in secon-
dairy schools is $500 in Washington,
as compared with s1.45S for the group
OF cities.
One of the features of the study is a
comparison OF expenditures for all the
purposes which are distinctly educa-
tional with expenditures for the busi-
ness purposes connected with the
operation and maintenance of the
schools. In making this comparison
expenditures for salaries of teachers,
principals, supervisors and superin-
tendents have been considered educa
tional expenditures. while expenses for
wages OF janitors and other employees,
for business and administrative Of
fees, for fuel, and for repairs have
been regarded as business expendi-
lures. 1t is found that Washington
ranks twelfth among the eighteen
cities in expenditure for business pur-