The Washington times., 1922-12-12
COUNCIL FIGHTS
OVER $4,000
FOR SCHOOL
supsrlntsndsnt Explains In
creased Attendance Nsoss-
states Additional Funds.

states Additional Funds.
WINCHESTER. Va, Dec. a.
CONSERVATION was created In the
city council, at . special
meeting held on Friday night TO con'
slider the budget for the year 1898,
when an entirely unlocked TOR de-.
mand was made by the city school
board for an additional appropria.
tion OF SIS, 900 for the support Of
the HAndley Schools for the session
of 1822.23. The council had made
an appropriation Of $4,000. and the
request Tor an increase Of 100 pei
cent for the schools came In the
nature Of q shock to council mem
bers.
Robert M. Ward. chairman Of the
school board, and Frederick z. Clerk,
superintendent of the Winchester
schools. explained that the additional
appropriation In made necessary by
the recent expansion and enlarge
ment of the corporate limits OF the
city and the consequent increase In
school attepdance from the annexed
territory; the increase In the numbeI
Of pupils due to the raising Of the
school age under the compulsory
educational law recently enacted BY
the Virginia legislature: Q very great
reduction in the amount received by
the Handley Schools from tuition
fees from county pupils. who. under
the compulsory educational law. are
required to attend county schools
and by the fact that fully 260 more
pupils are now enrolled In the
Handley Schools than were enrolled
during last year.
Attendance Inoreasing.
When the Handisy Foundat tioc
was established here y 1919. there
were only $50 pupils In the public
schools. Today the enrolment in
the white schools Of the Hand;ey
system 10 l,lsS. and the school st'
tendance u steadily increasing.
Of the Handley schools and thoss
in the first five grades Of the
colorsd schools are going to school
now only for half Q day, on ac
count Of the scarcity Of teachers
and the art and physical culture
In the schools hava
had to BE- abandoned temporarily on
account Of lack Of funds.
Superintendent Clerk Informed
the city council that the withdrawal
of more than half . million dollara
from investment in interest-bearinG
securities, to be used to pay fof
the immense Handley School build
ing now In process Of construction
here, will reduce the schools' In
come from the Handley Estate tc
$4,000 annually. and that the Win
chester schools will lose fully $1,000
a year In tuition fees from county
pupils who are required TO attend
schools under the States
new educational law.
There are forty.nine teachers moi
including superintendent Clerk
who are employed In the Win
schools under the Handley
system. and the total salaries paid
them amount to $4,000 annually.
Fight Over $4,000, -,,.,..
That there will bs . sharp fight ir
the city council over the demand ol
the school board for the extra appro
priation OF $4,000 was indicated
when several members Of the council
called Mr.. Clerks attention to NJ
agreement made in 1919, when tbs
Handley Foundation was established
to the effect that the city council
would not be called upon to appro
pirate more than $4,000 each yeal
for the support Of the Handle,
schools. Superintendent Clerk replied
to this statement by saying ths'
when this agreement was made ir
1919 the great growth and expansion
that have taken place In Wincheste,
since that year and the correspond
ing increase in school population
were not foressen and did not entsl
into the calculations made at tha
time.
Several members Of the council
have declared that they will refus,
to vote for the extra school appro
priation II II becomes necessary Il
Increase the city tax rate In order Il
raise the money. Meantime the coun
ell has ordered its school committe,
to make thorough investigation o.
the whole subject. with q view o.
determining the truth or fal1ity o.
the criticisfz, freely made here. tha
there is waste and extravaganza" Il
the operation Of the city school
under the Handlsy Foundation
system.