New-York tribune., 1919-01-06
Board OF Estimate Puts
Schools in ''Sgzuif-.yacket'
By John Martin

portioned in the budget. from which
there may be no deviation. SO that il
some teacher Of English. for instance,
resigns during the year. his place may
not be filled by another teacher with
longer years OF service and therefore
higher statutory salary, except by an
Affirmative vote Of the Board of Esti
mute. The persons employed on March
u last, must be kept in the precise
school grades which they were then
teaching, though the custom in many
schools is for the teacher to advance
with the class. New classes NAV not
be organized except within the narrow
financial bounds. q fixed allowance he
ing made for the salaries Of the
teachers of each grade.
No Chance to Prepare
tn September next there will be .
large influx of young children, for
whom classes IN la should be organized
promptly. Hitherto the superintcnd-
ents sanctioned such classes according
to their best judgment without delay,
or even consulting with the Board Of
Education. This year, in fear of ex
ceeding the appropriation for classes Of
that grade, though there may be
corresponding sCrp;uses in other ac-
counts, limit must be put upon the
number OF classes until the Board of
Estimate, by twelve votes. can sane
tion the recommendation of the SUPER
ntcndents and make the proper
financial transfers. AS the auditor
writes:
THE best interests of the schools re-
qulre the greatest freedom in the
organization and REORGANIZATION of
classes and the assignment Of teachers
day 10 day may be met"
AS II TO make chaos worse. Mayor
hyian wrote to the president of the
board on November II, saying: "The re
are sums OF money appropriated for
each department and such sums are
clVlded into specific amounts under
each code number for particular pur-
poses. Each sum is provided for the
payment Of the expenses Of that par
rlcuiar purpose or object for twelve
months, and qot more than onc-twelfth
OF such amount can be used legally in
any enc mcnth."
IS the Board of Education, then for
bldden to buy more than one-twclfth
OF It's annual coal supply in any one
month? Must it spread it's contracts
equally through winter and summer
alike? Must its expenditures On school
gardens be the same III December as
IN June May it not purchase books
and supplies in bulk to be delivered
as required by the principals, but must
1t receive them in twelve equal install
ments, just as much when schools are
IN vacation as when schools are run
hihg at high speed?
1t Can't Be Done"
A segregated amount of sl.o45.SS is
set out N the budget for teaching cab
lnetmaking in high scnocls. 1t happens
that there is only one teacher Of that
subject, whose annual salary to-day is
Sl,HV0. But N September next, urder
the statutory salary scales, nc viii be
entitled to an annual salary Of 5000
Inc Mayor directs, under threat OF
heavy penalties, that his gross receipts
OF 1,943.S3 for the year shall be paid
him in twelve equal monthly amounts,
which cannot legally be done.
In the same spirit the Board of Esti-
mate has refused another request of
the Board OF Education. In the budget
the sum OF $1,749,30 is allotted to
allow salaries of teachers who are
paid under schedules B1 and R2 to be
raised by S100 year. But these teachers
VIII not exhaust the full amount. while
teachers who are paid similar salaries
under other schedules are not pro-
Vlded tor SO the Board of Education
requested permission to use any sur
pdus to give the same increase, as had
been promised, to the other teachers.
Somewhat tartly the request was re-
fused.
Such is the city administrations re-
spect for the law which was enacted
IN the session of 1917, to confer fuller
independence unon Boards of Educa-
ton throughout the state, in order that
the schools might be managed without
any admiNture of partisan politics and
be Tree from the red tape which ties
other departments to the chairs of the
Controller and the Mayor.