The New York herald., 1922-02-17

the head of the school system and grants
1t complete independence from municipal
| control by giving 1t:
"(a) Power to acquire real estate for
| school purposes.
500 Power to construct, alter and
repair school buildings without refer
ence to any municipal agency. provided
| that the Superintendent of School Build
| ings certifes that the requirements OF
the building code, electrical code. fire
prevention regulations and State law
are observed.
"(c) Power to administer and expend
all school funds, subject only to review
by the Comptroller to prevent fraud or
error.
"(d) An assured annual appropriation
! for current expenses from the city IN
addition to the s1S.O00,000 received an
nually from the state equal to seven
mills on the dollar of assessed valua-
ton (about $7O,Oo0.000) instead of the
40 mills heretofore provided and an
assured annual appropriation from cor
porate stock equal to l mill on the dollar
($10,0O0,000) for new scnool buildings.
A separate bill providing funds to meet
accumulated deficiencies in school ac-
commodations will be presented later.
49, Extends the term of Superintend-
ent of Schools from six to ten years.
continues him as the chief executive Of
icer of the Board of Education and con-
fers upon him the powers heretofore ex-
ercised by the Board of Superintendent
and the Bureau of Compulsory Educa-
! tion.
~. Abolishes the Board OF Superin-
| tendents as a board, but continues In
office all the members thereof as assist
ant superintendents.
Extends Merit System.
as. Extends the merit system to all
| positions in the teaching and superVls-
| ing service except Superintendent or
| Schools and assistant superintendent Oh
| schools
sc. Makes the Superintendent of
Schools a member ex-officio of the Board
OF Examiners, provides that the other
seven members of that board shall be
| chosen from eligible lists established by
| the State Civil Service Commission. the
existing list being continued for its pres
| ent life, and gives the Board OF Exam
| iners the power now exercised by the
| Municipal Civil Service Commission In
J establishing eligible lists after exami-
/ nation for non-teaching and non-super-
vising positions under the Board or
! Education.
! from one to three years for all persons
In the service Of the Board of Educa-
| ton except the Superintendent of Schools
! and assistant superintendent OF schools.
"S. Repeats charter sections whose in
consistency with the provisions of the
education law has led to confusion and
litigation"
The report of the Meyer committee
dealing with the schools. give thesa
| findings:
a. That 115.19i children in the New
York city public schools are on par,
time and that another 195,75O are SUBJ
jected to the disadvantages OF double
session.
80 That part time in the day elo-
mentary schools has increased fror1
a. 153 in December. 1917. to S1,242 in Octo.
Der, 1921 double session from 1924 to
194.234. and that part time in the high
schools has increased in the same period
from 1876 to 80, S92.
'3. That in spite of the great need foi
new schools the Board OF Education de
layed fifteen months in starting build
ing operations. only four months of
which could be attributed to the rul-
ngs of the War Industries Board, and
that when the board finally let it's con.
structon contracts in 1919 every contract
was for a school on the building pro-
gram of the preceding Board of Educa-
ton and authorized By the preceding
Board of Estimate
Delay I'm Building.
~. That from January l. 1918. to De-
cember 6. 1921 only twenty-five new ele-
mentary school buildings or additions,
with a capacity of only 2l,S17, were
opened as compared with forty-four
during the preceding four years. witt
a capacity of 52.S47 or the twenty-five
opened by the present Board of Educa-
tion sixteen were opened in 1921, and Of
these all but two were opened after
September /.
80. That In August. 1921. there were
1853 violations of the city's fire pre-
vention rules recorded against 4s6 of the
695 public school buildings. representing
an accumulation of several years: that
in spite OF the fact that the board re-
peatedly requisites funds the superintend-
ent of school buildings reported officially
that there were essential items of fire
prevention work to be performed which
would actually operate to safeguard life
and lessen fire risk. The oBard Of Estl-
mate that took Office in January, 1918.
made no appropriation for this vital
work until April. 1921, when 1t allowed
s250.000 out of the s4,000,000 estimated
to be required. None OF this s250,000
had been spent up to August 10.
"6. That although fire in February.
1918. destroyed the three upper floors
OF the Board of Education Building at
500 Park avenue. II was not until Decem-
Der. 1921, nearly four '-cars later. that
bids were opened fS che reconstruction
of the building
"7. That aitnough the State law OF
1917 made necessary the complete re-
vision of the boards bylaws, II the
boards business was TO be conducted In
proper. orderly and efficient manner
that division had not been made UP to
September 1921, when the president OF
the board was examined by the commit
tee.
IS. That the division OF responsibility
between the city and school authorities
has encouraged municipal interference
in the administration of the schools. and
that this interference has often been
hostile.
City's Tax Influence.
80. That the necessary expenditures
of the Board of Education so far ex-