New-York tribune., 1919-09-13
Figure Lowest Possible in
Opinion of Board Head;
Increase Is $37,OOO,OOO
Over Last Years Sum
Third for New Buildings
S7.OOO,OOO More Needed
to Pay Higher Salaries:
Plan Two High Schools

The Board of Education. after meet
ing lasting from 10 O'Clock yesterday
morning until late last evening. adopt
ed its departmental request for 1920.
which will be sent TO the Board Of
Estimate and Apportionment Cor ap-
rroval as part Of the budget
This asks the city for SS7 7,l47 .o6l .26
TO run the department for next year.
The 1919 budget was $40 500 .s34.
This is the rock bottom figure
Aiming S. Pral, president of the board.
said yesterday I'VE have spcrt an en-
tire week. cutting down wherever pos
siblc. Originally we considered that
the least We could run .hc department
for was s9l 64s,1l7. We have managed
to reduce this to the present figure.
The item that shows the chief ad-
vance over last years budget is for
building Because Of The war and the
incidental scarcity of labor and mate
rial practically no building was done
rnder the old budget.
Now the board requires S26 $50 .496
and an additional S2.j3S,316 to meet
tax notes already issued.
81 1,500, 900 for New Building
Another item of 81 100000 is TO,
proposed new Board of Education
building. The present building. at
Fifty-ninth Street and Park Avenue,
was damaged by fire q February |.
1918. Adequate repairs could not be
s., ~, i
Additional items appearing on the pres =
cn' budget that were not on the one
1or 1919 are:
Three assistant examiners, $4,000
each; additional district superinten-
dent. $1,000, for reviving the Office Of
director OF lectures, $4,000; assistant
director Of lectures. $500: $4,000, 900
for increased pay for teachers
The increase for purely educational
purposes over tho last budget is
sll, $50 900 Appropriations are also
asked for the formation of new high
schools in Brooklyn ard Manhattan.
These are to be housed in existing
buildings Brooklyn's is to be the Com
Manhattan's. the Washington Heights
High School.
More Teachers Pay
The general school fund out of which
salaries Of teachers and executives
must be paid amounts to S44,328 ,952
an increase over 1919 OF S416s .204.
The special school fund required to
operate the school plant. pay for
janitorial service, repairs, fuel. etc, is
nut at S11 $40 500 Operation of the
school plant will cost. the board fig
ures, $3,s1s, 1876, or $796, 934 more than
last year; S2319.970 will go to the
school janitors, and represents an in
crease of $i3f,092 over 1919; fuel IS
expected to cost $l.347 07S, or 1927, ,439
more than last year Foreseen repairs.
the hoard calculates. will cost S3.222,
S38 during The year. and Unforeseen
repairs s35 $50.
Under the state law the city is com
PEELED to appropriate for school uses
a sum equivalent to go mills on
every dollar Of assessed valuation. This
produces little more than S43 600 600
annually In addition the state appro-
PIRATES approximately $4,000, 900 every
year for educational purposes in this
city.
Hard to Cut Excess
The Board of Education worked late
last night in an effort to arrange the
items in the budget so that the Board
of EsHmAte would find difficulty IN cut
ting shs requirements in excess of the
sAS,O00, 900 provided under the law
This was done by Incorporating in the
excess budget such items S recreation
centres, Fairgrounds, vacation schools
summer classes, food economy GENRES
and similar activities which. it Is said
have come to be rega rded by educators
pupils and parents as essentials.
To Justify it's proposed building
programme the board issued q state
ment showing the attendance of par,
time and full time pupils In the clc
mentary, high. vocational and training
schools Of the city. 1t was shown thai
on September 9, this year, me schoo
registration of full time pupils wa:
S37 ,306, an increase of S637 over 1918
On the same date this year there wer.
56,60S part time pupils in TIE schools
an increase of 13,2ol over last year
a decrease of All in attendance OF
September was attributed to the de
sire of the children to celebrate Perish
ing Day It is estimated ina; at tht
end of the month the registration vii
be s56.55S. compared with S3S,201
pt k.,r