Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-05-16


! time in it's history the Board pro-
poses to make its appropriations for
next year upon the basis of an elab
| orately prepared budgot setting forth
in great detail and with intelligent
classification the purposes of PR
posed expenditures, every item being
submitted or checked by the secre-
tary, the superintendent, purchasing
agent, or the superintendent OF
property.
This budget is one of the results
OF the survey made under the au-
spices of the Chamber of Commerce
about two years ago, and should be
the means of enabling the Board to
progressively conduct it's business
much more efficiently and economi-
cally.
You want me to give some ex-
planation of the reasons for the
necessity for an increase in the
school expenses.
We'll, in May, 1916,-to go back
no further-the tax rate was in
creased from 1-2 mills to 10 mills.
because it was found that the Board
had an accumulated deficit of about
$4,000, and that at 1-2 mills
rate it was running behind from
hoped at that time, that with this
extra one and one-half mills we
could come out even at the end of
two years-at the end of the fiscal
year 1918. And it would have work.
ed out this way If there had been
no war to greatly increase the cost
to the Board of eerything it had
to use in the operation of the scho oil
system, together with the budget
system of expenditures now estab-
lished. Teachers salaries were re-
vised upwards and the expense for
supplies, fuel and building repairs
very greatly increased so that the
year 1918 closed with a deficit of
$4,000.
This is the way the Board started
the current year 1919; but it was nee
essary, and most desirable, at this
time to increase the teachers sal
aries. We added about $4,000 to
them. l know of no one who ques-
tons the justice or propriety of this.
We also increased the janitors' sal
aries. and Furthermore the interest
and sinking fund charges amounting
to about $4,000 on over 100000
of bonds issued to build the two new
intermediate schools had to be pro-
vided for. The Board raised the rate
another one and one-half mills, max
ing il II 1-2 mills for 1919.
During the year, however, costs
continued to increase, and eXpendi-
lures for fuel, supplies, building re-
pairs, etc, went beyond the esti-
mates. No estimate that could be
fair could have been made under the
circumstances. And now, for 1920
we have to provide for another en-
tirely new item of about $50, 900 for
the operation of the two new Inter
mediate schools, as well as for an
addition of about $4,000 for inter-
est and sinking fund charges to cover
an additional loan that will have to
be made to complete and equip these
buildings Some further increase has
also been made in teachers salaries,
and they are not yet as high, under
stand as those fixed in some pending
bills, one of which the General As
sembly is likely to enact into a law.
Due to Three Factors
The mounting expenses of the
Board are due to three chief factors;
First, the war, with its high costs:
second, the general disposition to pay
higher salaries to teachers-this is
somewhat, of course, an outgrowth
of the war; and third. the new Inter-
mediate schools. These three fac
tors account for the great bulk of
the increased expenses of the Board
for the year 1917 to 1920.
Nearly 100000 more was paid
the teachers in 1919 than in 1915:
nearly $4,000 more to janitors: the
cost OF supplies jumped from $4,000
TO SS7, 1000; of repairs to buildings
from $4,000 to s43. 900; of fuel from
$4,000 to $4,000, and so on. The SAL
ary increases the Board would not
L speak for the whole Board when /
say this-and the other increases it
could not have avoided if it would,
and have kept the schools going.
The Harrisburg School Board is
employing near or quite $50 people,
In operating 80 school buildings in
the education of over 10000 chill
dren; and it furnishes these chill
dren with everything they need to
enable them to go to school except
food and clothes-and indeed, in
one large school some food and
clothes are furnished.
IneSe increases, of course, are
carried forward into 1920, and with
out very much further increase. as
1t may probably be assumed that
costs are now at the peak. They are.
of course, Independent of the opera
ton OF the two new schools on ac-
count of which, for interest and
sinking fund charges and expenses
for salaries, supplies, working equip
ment, etc, about $4,000 is in
cluded in the 1920 budget.
You will remember that I op-
posed going on with the erection of
these two new school buildings. pre-
ferring to make some feasible tenn
porary ARRANGEMENT for the accom-
mediation of the excess school popu
lation. met with very little SYM
pathy in or out of the Board, and /
will be more than glad to find that
my Judgment was in error. 1 thought
it was .unwise to erect the buildings
in time of war, with all the uncer-
tainty and instability, and with costs
soaring and I also thought further
investigation and study should be
made to determine the exact type
of this quite new kind of school
building that would be likely
to promise the best results
for the longest period of time and
with the least expenditure of money.
l have not yet changed my mind.