Evening star., 1927-03-19
School Building Program.

According to figures on appropria-
tions already made, during the last
three wears. Il would seem that the
"five.year school building program" is
going to be a misnomer. and that the
contemplated expenditure of $20,1S5,-
600 will be extended over six or seven
years.
An effort. however, is going to be
made. and should be made, in the
next Congress to carry through
arger-than-quota volume of work
during the remaining two years. so
that the entire program can be car
ried out within the f1ve-year period
And this is entirely practicable.
The trouble was that In laying out
the five-year program of $2O.lS5,00o
for school buildings and grounds the
total sum was divided by five, to
make an ALLEGATION of $4,037000 an
nually to carry on the job. This did
not take into consideration that the
office of the municipal architect was
ClltIIelt uIIIlI ( IIiI W oii ti''@N
much work and ii took time to pre-
pare the plans and specifications.
Then came the difficulty in securing
the school sites desired, with the linn
sessed valuation acting as an abso-
lutte barrier. More than a year was
lost in waiting for determination by
Congress of what was to be done
under these circumstances. Now Con-
gress has reaffirmed it's policy of in
sistence upon this limitation, but
makes a certain amount exempt from
the prohibition.
Also, Congress has through the ap-
preparation bill built up the organiza-
ton in the municipal architects office
and given him broader authority to
have outside architects make plans
for various buildings. In this way the
preliminary work was for time de-
layed, but the causes of the delay
have now been obviated.
The net result is that while we are
already, in a three.year period, some
e2.S00,000 behind schedule, 1t is still
quite possible to go ahead much more
rapidly with the actual purchase and
construction work.
In the first year of the five-year
program (the fiscal year 1926. $4,013,-
600 was appropriated instead of the
annual quota of $4,O37 900, shortage
of $24 900; in the second year, 1927, the
annual allotment was cut from 81.
037 900 to $2,450 900, shortage Of
81 ,5S7 900, and for the current fiscal
year the allotment was reduced to
$o,794,250, a shortage Of the year of
81 ,242, $50, or total accumulated
shortage for the three years of ST.
S53,750.
While there is no criticism of Con-
gress for not appropriating for the
coming fiscal year the total $5,64S, 900
asked by the Board of Education,
which would have included the obli-
gated appropriations for preceding
years, yet there is justice and ex.
pediency in the plan to ask for 5,463,-
S75 each year for the next two years,
so that the entire program can be car
ried out, as originally contemplated,
within the five-year period.
Congress has been very practical
thus far-first in approving the much.
needed five-year building program, and
second in holding the appropriations
down to the amounts that it believed
could be spent with economic eff.
nciency. 1t is the hope of the District
ofrctals, of the Board of Education
and OF the people whose children
should have adequate school facilities
that Congress will be equally prac-
tical during the next two years In
giving the full amounts, which it is
believed can now be utilized with
practical efficiency.