Evening star., 1928-12-28
CARUS| ASSA|LS
BUDGET METHODS
Board of Education Chair
man Says Commissioners Do
Not Understand Problems.

Criticizing the method Of presenting
public school estimates to the Bureau
of the Budget, DR.. Charles F. Carusi,
chairman of the Board of Education,
yesterday protested that the District
Commissioners do not know and un-
derstand conditions in the schools"
He further declared that the school
system alone among other municipal
activities in the District has been "a
victim Of systematic neglect" which he
blamed largely upon the apparent In
ability of the Commissioners to pass
effectively on the vital needs OF the
schools in pruning the annual estimates.
His criticism was made at a luncheon
meeting of the public schools committee
Of the Washington Board of Trade In
the City Club, at which the proposed
second five-year school building pro-
gram, about which school onctalS had
conferred with the Commissioners
earlier in the day. was explained to the
business men assembled. Frank W.
Ballou, superintendent of schools, and
Henry Galligan, chairman of the Board
of Educations legislative committee,
also outlined the hopes and expecta-
tions under such a program and the
manner in which the board had worked
out the five-year plan.
As in the case of representatives of
Che civic associations, the school officials
put up to the trade board the question
of taking definite stand as to whether
in addition to the sum necessary to
provide for the current expenses OF the
school system for 1881 there shall be
added $3,000,oO0 for buildings and
grounds, provided, Of course. that the
total Is not in excess Of one-thirc OF
the total revenue of the District from
all sources. They likewise asked the
trade board committee to go on record
as to whether or not the District Com
misSioners shall transmit public school
estimates to the Budget Bureau with
such recommendations as the Board OF
Education makes.
It was the practice Of the Commis-
sioners in eliminating such school items
as they deemed fit to make the District
budget meet the other needs OF the
city that drew caustic comment from
DR.. CaruSi
While the trade board committee re-
served action at this time, Chairman
Thomas p. Littlepage was authorized to
appoint a subcommittee of five MEM
bers to make a report on the two prop
ositions submitted after comforting with
the Commissioners and others interested
In the welfare ana advancement OF tne
schools.
DIR. Carusi outlined the previous
struggles of the Board Of Education to
keep the school system on parity with
other municipal activities. "It is not
on a parity now," he declared. Refer
ring to the systematic neglect" to-
which, he charged, the schools have
been subjected, he said present condi-
ticns are apt to continue as Congress
it not likely to see the light for some
time"
DR.. Carusi stated that the Commis-
sioners had turned deaf ears" to the
plea that third Of the District reve-
nues, a proportion usually allotted In
cities of comparable size, be applied to
the needs Of the school system, instead
of one-fourth, as now. ut was quite
obvious that the Commissioners thought
we were not interpreting fairly the
wishes of the citizens Of washington,
Carusi stated, 80 we put the question
up to a recent meeting Of civic repre-
sentatives."
He explained that the Board Of Edu-
cation, being the agency charged with
supervision of the public schools, and