Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-30
School Head Holds Failure to
Provide Funds Is
Severe Blow.
COMMISSIONERS VIEW
S36,173,366 WITH FAVOR
% Per Cent Limitation on Land
Purchases, However, Considered
Objectionable Feature.

to include an item of $121 900 for the
employment of "a additional teachers
was deplored last night by Dr. Frank
w. Ballou, superintendent of schools,
who foresees a severe blow to the
present high educational standards of
the public school system of the Dis
trict.
The total amount recommended in
the bill is $50, ,173, ,366-which repre-
sents the largest appropriation bill
for the District ever presented to Con-
gress. OF the total, the Federal Gov
ernment-in continuing the lump sum
policy-will pay s9.000,000. and the
District, from money derived from
taxes and water revenues, will pay
the balance.
Viewed With Favor.
The Commissioners regard the bill
as generally satisfactory, although it
carries several Objectionable features,
among them being the continuance in
force of the limitation of % per cent
above assessed valuation on the price
to be paid for school, playground and
park sites.
This restriction was again inserted
in the bill. despite the vehement pro-
test of the Commissioners that i.
worked an extreme hardship on them
in trying to purchase land for munic-
ipal purposes.
Just as soon as DIR. Ballou learned
yesterday that the bill would deprive
the schools of the "a new teachers.
he issued a prepared statement sound
ing warning that the District, as "a
Trcf aaf ar1Tfa tf.F1 in
the quality of instruction" and a
material increase in the size of the
already crowded classes.
1T should be clearly understood by
the citizens OF Washington read DIR.
Ballou's statement that this saving
of $121 100, brought about as a result
| of eliminating provision for any new
teachers for the school year 1927-2S,
win mean a reduction in the quality OF
instruction and the elimination of spe-
cial types OF instructions. which the
schol system has heretofore been able
to provide
Pointing out that the elimination of
the Appropriation for new teachers
will have the most far-reaching effect
on the school system" DIR. Ballou's
statement continues.
Sees Ill Effects.
If this bill becomes a law without
making any provision for new teach
ers, it means materially increasing the
size of classes in elementary, junior
and senior high schools; the impossi-
bility of organizing small classes of
typical children who need special in
struction, and the assignment to regu-
lar classroom instruction of al sup
Elementary teachers now employed in
our larger elementary schools, to give
| children who need 1t the individual in
struct1on necessary for them to keep
up their respective classes.
The strength of any school system
lies in the quality of the teaching,
which in turn depends on classes of
reasonable size and suitable building
facilities. 1t is greatly to the credit
of all parties concerned that up to this
time appropriations for teachers have
been sufficient to keep most classes i'm
the public schools of Washington with
in a reasonable size, and to provide a
small number of teachers for the en-
richment of instruction which ii is the
right of the children to enjoy"
DIR. Ballou concluded his statement
by declaring that, of course, reassign-
ments of teachers can and win be
made If necessary in the event that
the bill eventually is enacted without
the requested provision for new
teachers.
Other Examinations.
Two other items eliminated from
the school board'S estimates by the
House are $4,000 for an addition to
the Crummell School and the elimina-
tion of the amount for the purchase of
a site for q new health school for col
ored pupils.
Two increases over the Budget
Bureau recommendations are carried
in the bill. as follows: $1,000 for sup
plying school children with paper
towels and $1,000 to provide janitor
service in connection with meeting of
parents and citizens in the public
schools after regular school hours.
Decision to eliminate the item for
new teachers was reached by the
members of the Funk subcommittee
after prolonged discussion over the
ispoint at the hearings and the request
for a mass of data and statistics from
school officials.
Two Members Hold Out.
While DIR. Ballou in appearing be-
fore the subcommittee prepared an
array of statistics tending to justify
the need for ~ new teachers during
the fiscal year of 1928, two members
OF the subcommittee, Representatives
Robert G.. Simmons of Nebraska and
Ross A. Collins of Mississippi, stead
fastly refused to be convinced, ac-
cording to the testimony.
Mr.. Simmons and Mr.. Collins and
at times Representative Anthony j.
Griffin of New York, all contended
that there either was a surplus of
teachers in the school system today
or surplus of classrooms.
Possessed with figures ss-~nished
him by the Bureau of Education and
from sources outside of the circle of
school officials. Mr.. Collins declared
the average number of pupils per
teacher in the high schools here was
1897: in the junior high schools,
1854: in the elementary schools, 304.
These figures were considerably
lower than those given by DIR. Ballou,
which were: In the high schools, %
pupils per classroom; in the junior
higEr~schools. 21.1, and in the element
airy schools, 35.5.
"A determination of the subcommit-
tee members to reduce the teacher
enrolment situation to a matter Of
simple arithmetic caused no end OF
confusion during the hearings, 1t n
revealed. The subcommittee members