Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-21
SCHOOLS MAY FORCE.
RISE IN TAX RATES.
Problems Confronting Board Of
Education Outlined by
,... Secretary Dick
NEED A HlGH.PRICED MAN


retary of the Board of Education, the
only hope for permanent solution OF
the school teacher salary problem and,
In fact. the whole financial trouble OF
the board Of Education. lies in an ad-
ditional rise in the tax rate or some
other such legislation on the part of the
state Legislature when It convencs
again in January, 1921.
"But even such favorable action on
the part Of the state lawmakers cannot
possibly become effective before Janu-
ary. 1922" said Mr.. Dick. for, as 1t
row stands, assessments for the coming
year have already been made"
This docs not. however, solve the
question Of the S400 increase granted
school teachers by the board to meet
the present extraordinary living con
ditions. funds for which have not so
far become available. Indications
noint 10 the fact that not more thar
half this increase will be received by
the tenchers, when funds come into tho
hands of the board in September.
Simon Gratz. president of the Board
of Education, before going away on his
tshao ,,ro,,id bn available In Sentcm
Lar l., odJ;t;on to thc sale of three
w. ,,uonort;es owned by the hoard which
p,Up M a,,tbor,zed at their last meeting
ond ,vh;cb n ia believed will not about
sGno ooo homes for funds to meet tho
so.w ,,o,v uroh,om HSro' ore % mined on tho tho saie %
of 60 OnO 600 worth of Z per cent bonds.
which opens on Thursday. Uncertainty
os to tba success of this sale has been
eynressed owing to the unsettled fnan.
c;al conditions at present existing.
'.Jf tbe bond sale is successful. "
so;d Mr. Dick "tbe board will be able
to divert something less than s7OO 600
for the payment of teachers increases.
by charging it az a repair item. This
added to the 5000, 900 which we hope
to raise by the sale of the boards prop
critics, which includes the Parkway site
of the proposed new administration
building. would give something less than
81. 300 900 to be distributed among the
teachers.
Mara Financial Problems
.,. -, -, Co.. Oh, pooua 90
.hen reh,d lila. hor, th;s s,,,,, ",
Educatlon 10 ue.e Tb"ro nro eonn
sna,i .noah ue uppo tho phi,odeiSbia schools
tea,hers III tne .Lna ara Ioon It,
Tho puhlir school l.
TEN. That represents the money avail
able for school teachers, raises ana the
amount which each one VIII receive
after the board aiiots IL, pecomes Simply
matter OF DIVISION,
'Out OF the S2.ooo.ooo 10 De raised
by the proposed sale OF bonds Is TO come
also new schools and school repairs.
''In addition to new schools now in
process Of construction at Ninth street
and Oregon avenue and Seventeen
street and Buist avenue, respectively
the board had hoped TO bulld Two
other schools during the coming year.
"But the item of repairs alone is a
staggering one. Many of the schools
need attention. Owing to the advance
in the price of lnbor and materials and
to other reasons, the board has been
compelled to forgo this measure in some
schools. In one instance alone, S9O, QUO
was asked for repairs to building
which originally cost $50. 900.
Director of Public Health Furbush
has condemned ten schools as unsani-
ta-y, That either means that we must
snend money for repairs to them, or
turn that many children out into the
street this fall. IL the director should
decide to order the schools closed.
NAT. -
Board racing DehcN
by a plan recently adopted 1t was
arranged to increase the salaries of
elementary teachers so that they should
eventually receive minimum pay Of
S11OO year and a maximum of $500.
The first installmcnt Of this has already
been paid. the second becomes effective
the first of the year. and the third in
January, 1922. In order to do this the
board is forced to take advantage of the
right vested in it by the school code to
raise the tax rate from seven to eight
mills. And even at that the board is
counting on the increased real estate
assessments of the coming year to pull
az lI:., A. I..J e,oo, , 10