The Washington herald., 1921-12-03
V-Washington's Schools

80 be accepted as fact that Washington is unlike
- any other American city On the surface it is.
But like the colonies lady and Bridget O'Grady the
ainerence IS only skin-deep. As long cities arc
an,made up of human beings they will be funda-
mentally the same, regardless OF surface appear
anpos. Like all other cities Washington wants a
great many things, but balks at paying the price in
avs 1t demands much. but in acquiring, halts this
sde OF an increased tax rate. just do all cities
t.Nnowing what good schools cost The Herald
ASKED: will Washington pay the price, Will the
taxpayers consent increase in tax rate to get
;he''.schools the people say they want?" After an
insIhnt's hesitation, an emphatic, Eyes they
viii, provided they know the increase is for schools
Eoes to schools and to nothing else" Again Wash
ingfon is like other cities. for it is enthusiastically
AMERICAN that at any the children OF this
country must have good schools
E,Ior the fiscal year ending last juno the cxpen-
ditusc for public schools about 27 per cent of
thc~total expenditures of the District The total
taNrate was 1916 mills. The portion devoted to the
sclfaols, therefore about Ii mills For the
current year the total rate to 1872 mills If
thcTull limit of 20 mills had been levied and the
added I.8 mills devoted to the schools the school
fund would have been incrcased-with the 10 per
cent, Federal quota-by 81 $4,000. The need was
evident but this done and never will be
done long the fiscal affairs of the schools arc
now provided by law.
Comparison with other cities will show that
thc.'apportionment of tax rate schools is not
enough. 1t should be 80 to 50 per cent for cur
rcntcxpenscs alone around one-half the municipal
levy, with whatever additional is needed for build
ingS The school rate, the school levy, should
be Separate and distinct from that for all other Dis
trict uses. 1t found that for this year
rate OF about - mills sufficient for District
III =. =
the remaining mills might go to schools. This is
about the right apportonment for a 2o-mis total
and whether exactly this not it should be fixed
by law. In other words the law instead of fixing
total tax OF not to exceed 20 mills for all
purposes including schools, should fix rate OF not
to exceed say r3 mills for District purposes and not
to exceed mills for school purposes. Taxpayers
would then know exactly what their schools cost
Them and separate accounting would show how it
was used.
The schools today need all OF this seven mills
rate for upkcep and current expenses. They need
It for increased salaries for REPAIRS for sanitation
Tor adequate supplies and for equipment for manual
training and domestic science and like things to
drag, the schools from the archaic to modern In
Ioanual training, domestic science and applied arts
the Washington schools arc more than twenty years
behind the up-to-datc schools Of today
This of itself shows conclusivcly that the pres
cnt condition OF the schools is not wartime con-
sequence. 1t dates back many years through a
long period OF hope delayed which has made the
heart sick. That period OF buildings condemned
but not abandoned, OF pnchbcck financing of di-
vidcd authority and dislocated responsibility of a
school system which was nobody's child, produced
the inevitable consequences to which Washington j,
but now arousing itself. One of these conse-
qucntcs Is in annual expenditures of just under
S5o6oooo for corrections and charities paid in taxes
or considerably one-half the total cost of pub
lie education. This is inevitable; cut down the cost
OF public schools and up goes the other end of the
teeter
Does Washington, then, really want seat in a
modern school building for every child or are her
people only indulging in conversations If they want
good schools in modern buildings they mus. make
up their minds that they will have pay for them;
not so much as do the taxpayers OF other cities for
here the Federal government pays 40 per cent of
the bill, but much more than in the past Six
eight-room additions have been authorized for the
coming year. With proper organization, with ade-
quate preliminary planning, 1925 and should
find this city fully up in its school building pro-
gram. 1t is only for Washington to say that it is
ready to finance its share of the cost. Congress
viii do the rest.