The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-01-17
TASK MILLION AND HALF ]
FOR RICHMOND SCHOOLS.
Nearly Three-Quarters Million to Be
Set Aside For New Buildings
and Other Properties"
BEFORE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
Body Adjourns Until Next Monday
Night For Hearing Administrative
Board Estimates and Arrangement
Of Budget For 1917 Needs.

0Odfu E}9NhMbR&GB anu
Of Budget For 1917 Needs.
The Richmond School Board last
night asked the Finance Committee TO
include in the 1917 budget the sum Of
$1,54O,716.51, to be used during the
coming year for the support of the
city's school system. OF this amount
s73l.S0O is set aside In the petition
under the head of New Buildings
and Other Properties and a big
allotment of proposed new buildings
and repairs on old buildings are fixed
for the years work.
1t is proposed during the year to
erect and repair the foilowiNg
schools: Central Junior High School,
lot and building, to cost $4,000,
colored school in Sidney section, $40
600; Armstrong High school. thirty
rooms. public baths and laundry.
100000: colored school in Fulton.
$4,000. new colored school in East
End, $4,000: add ano,her story to
John Marshall High school, $780,
a00; two lots in west and northwest
for development. s35.0po. building on
Forest Hill lot, 100000; Junior High
school on Chamberlain Avenue lot,
y
Park. $500.
In regard to the sidney colored
school. a special appeal was made by
both the members of he school Board
and by coiored citizens OF that sec
ton. who claimed that their children
were kept out of school because the
nearest school of their grade was too
far away for them to 60 from home.
This section. they say. * occupied al
most entirely by colored people. who
are buying more land with the inten-
ton of making il an exclusively negro
section. and their plea for school
there they thought but natural and
just.
Urge Salary Increases.
Miss Adair, Professor Adams and
other members OF the Richmond
school system. appeared TO urge the
adoption of the proposed schedule of
increase for the salaries of school
teSchers. This matter was brought
before the School Board some time
ago. and received their unanimous
approval, and they were present last
night to add their voices to those of
the teachers themselves in asking that
the increased appropriation be grant
ed. The increase for the first year
would amount to $i0S.6i9 over the
present pay ron, ana WtuIN increase
by a regular schedule year after year.
This proposition was the outgrowth
Of a great deal of invest CATION on
the part of those who are behind the
matter on behalf of the teaching
force OF the school system. and sta
tistcs compiled from a study of con-
duions IN other cities entered into
the formation of the schedule. No
teacher Will he overlooked In the pro-
posed plan. the lowest grade instruc-
tor as well as the highest. paid prin-
cipal each coming in for their share
of the raise in salaries. II has been
shown that Richmond teachers are
paid much less than the teachers IN
n majority Of the larger cities whose
school systems are not better. and
are In some cases inferior to the
Richmond methods. and for this rea-
son the teachers feel that they should
he paid in accordance with the rat
Ing OF teachers in other places.
Per Capita Cost S23.I4
DIR. Chandler. in presenting the
wishes of the school board said tina
each pupil in the public schools OF
the city costs the city an average o.
sa3.14 per wear OF instruction. This
figure includes the interest or the
vaise OF the school property, which
raises the sum from seo.5e. If
various schools the amount varies. II
costing s54 per pupil each year lc
run the prevocational schools. while
the night schools cost only $685. pei
pupil and the vacation schools sS.47
The total payroll asked for by Dr.
Chandler for 1917, exclusive of ths
proposed increase in salaries b,
schedule. figures ss4S,+71.51. The
provements. will cost s124.1s5. while
the sum of s3s. ESQ will be needed 70,
Special Items which will include
free textbooks 5000 for the open -aii
fund. and other needs. With the APP.
preparation of over 100000 for new
buildings and other properties. tbs
whole amount asked for by the hoart
Is brought to over a million and {
shalf dollars.
Juvenile Court Claims.
Judge J. Hoge Kicks presented the
claims of the Juvenile Court and their
needs for the coming year. asking fol
an appropriation of s12.s60 for 1917
against $1,000 for the. year just past
This amount will include an increasf
in the salary of Probation Of6cer NJ.
Farland and of the clerk, Miss Nc
Carthy. with a slight increase in tht
cost of maintaining the department,
of the court, in keeping with this
general advances in price of all com
modities.
After the discussion of the Schoo
Boards proposals, the Finance Com
r,ittee adjourned TO meet next Mon
day night. at which time the Admin
istrative Board will be requested to b,
present to afford hearing of thei
needs for 1917. 1t Is thought tina
at this meeting the Anal arrange
ments will be made for preparing tn,
budget for the year, since all tn,
| municipal departments will have bee,
heard from hv that time