Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-28
SAY D. c. SCHOOLS
NEED S5,ODO,0IO
Officials Discuss Increasing
Appropriation Without
Raising Tax Rate.

Recognizing the need of the public
schools for increased appropriations to
carry out the tagging five-year School
building program, District officials, 1t
was learned today, are discussing plans
for obtaining about $5000,000 for the
schools without raising the eXestng tax
rate of $170 on 500 of assessed Valua-
ton.
The building program. the ofncla.5
realize, is to be further leopardlzed III
the next fiscal year because OF the
drastic cuts which had to be made In
the school budget to scale down the
total estimates for the District to the
figure fixed by the Bureau OF the
Budget.
Instead of a five-year program as
originally intended. it has already de-
Welcomed into a SiX-ycar program III :
GLIDING the appropriations Tor scllool
bIlildr gs and grounds for the current
fiscal year. S12.028.250, of the estimated
$4,000 900 needed to carry out tnc
five-year program, 1t was sald: mas Deeh
provided, leaving about S8,0OOOOO 10
complete the program after the prepaf-
alton of the 1880 budget
The Board of Education, it was
nointed out. asked for $3,7000OO Tor
the building program in the 1880 rs
cal wear. but this figure was reduced by
the Commissioners to $4,000, 600. Inc
Commissioners, however, decided TO ask
for the remainder in the 1881 flScal
wear out since the original authorize
fion was entitled the "flve-year build
ing program act" the question now
confronting the officials is whether
new bill must be prepared to authorize
the 1881 appropriations.
CaruSi'S Statement.
Meanwhile, today, the emphatic
declaration was made by Charles +:
Carusi, president of the Board OF
propriation required for a second
fiye-vear school building program would
be less than $12,000,000, the amount
actually appropriated under the present
building program, and that instead of
being Increased by virtue of new
building program, the District tax rate
should be reduced "by cents"
Mr.. Carusi'S discussion of the local
tax rate was prompted by reports at
tributed to District officials that II the
school system is granted anything Ike
an 100000 appropriation for sec
ond five-year building program, the
District tax rate would be increased
to $2.35.
IF $4,000, O00-which was all of the
authorized S2O,OO0,000 we received
under the present program-equals a
tax rate of $1.70 thousand, then 1t
is simple arithmetic to compute re-
duced tax rate if the building appropri-
ations for the next five years are less"
Mr.. Carusi said.
He reiterated statement he made
Yesterday that until the Districts civic
and trade bodies report on the school
needs as they see them it will be I'M
possible to set definite figure for
second building program. He declared.
however, that second program would
call for a total appropriation over
five-year period of less than $12,000,00O,
perhaps 100000 or $10,000,000."
Plans Tax Drop.
Should the figure drop to $9,000,0 900,
Carusi said, he sees no reason why the
tax rate, if it is to be affected by the
school appropriation, should not be
made $1.65."
Commenting on District Auditor
Donovan'S suggestion that jurisdiction
over the public schools of the District
be placed in the hands of the Commits
SionerS, Mr.. Carusi expressed surprise
'that Donovan didn't hesitate a long
while before he urged the passage of a
bill which was so thoroughly defeated
under pressure Of public sentiment in
1916"
Mr.. Carusi contended that if author
ity over the public schools were taken
out of the hands of IAN independent