Evening star., 1928-10-16

u
agencies would regard him as an out
slider to whom they are not responsible,
Carusi believes.
Declaring that the future of the
schools must be considered "in terms
of school children" the president Of
the School Board said today that the
complete abolition of one-room portable
school buildings and part-time classes.
both existing remedies of the condi-
tions of overcrowding throughout the
system. constitute the chief goal of the
school officials
ITO attain this goal" Carusi said.
we must have more classrooms, hence
more school buildings, and to get these
we must have the money to build them.
1t Is for this purpose that we plan to
seek a second f1ve-year building pro-
gram.
Will Profit by Reports.
Until we know just what the needs
today are in the system we cannot
estimate just what that second program
would embrace. and in our survey of the
needs we shall be guided materially
by-but not governed entirely blythe
reports from the civic bodies which
we are waiting for now
With the first five-year building pro-
gram between SIS and so per cent appro-
priated for at present when it should
be 30 per cent complete, it is not yet
clear whether the items included in the
unfinished portion of the initial building
program should be included in the new
program or whether the second program
should be framed to include only items
which would provide for school needs
which have arisen since the first pro-
| gram was authorized.
DR.. Frank w. Ballou superintendent
OF schools, who was present when DR..
| Carusi discussed the school SYSTEMS
future, contends that since these items
| already were authorized in the first pro-
| gram they need no further authoriza-
ton. DR.. Carusi, on the other hand, is
willing to abandon the unfinished por-
tion OF the old program and include its
items In the new program. DR.. Ballou
| declared also, however, that by virtue
OF the changing aspect of the school
! system certain of the unreached items
could well be substituted by items
| which have become more urgent
through the citys growth and develop
ment. This phase of the program will
be considered in detail by board mem
bers and school officers In time for a
| definite proposal at the opening of the
next session of Congress.
Considers Younger Pupis.
DIR. Carusi said it is his plan to give
the elementary schoos first considera
ton in any new building program which
may be framed because of his convic-
ton that the younger children can make
poorer headway amidst unfavorable
conditions than can the older boys anc
| girls of high school age.
so strongly do feel the handicap:
under which the little children are be.
| ing obliged to work - in frame shack.
and on part-tirne schedule - that
place the correction of conditions in.
/ volving them even before the establish.
| and have deep sympathy. too, for the
latter school," DR.. Carusi declared.
New legislation for the adninistra.
| ton of the schools is difficult to Obtain
DR.. Carusi said. unless the bills pro.
posed by the Board of Education hap
| pen to meet with the full approval anc
| pleasure of the Commissioners. A
| present it Is requared that proposed bill.
| governing the schools be submitted firSt
| to the Commissioners, who then may
| transmit them to Congress. Under this
| practice the Commissioners may simply
forget" or pigeonhole legislation abou.
which they may feel Indifferent or. per-
haps, opposed to.
One Bill Is Listed.
Among bills to suffer this fate recent
ly is that drafted by the Board of Ed
ucation to permit teachers to take leave
of absence for purposes of study with
out loss of their full pay. Under the
provisions of this bill teacher on such
4. 1zo
tween his salary and that which would
be paid to substitute, who naturally
would be compensated on lower scale
This bill was submitted to the Comrlis
sioners, who subsequently asked that
the citizens bodies express opinions con-
cerning it, Although these bodies sub
mitted reports of favorable action dur
ing the last school term, nothing more
concerning the bill has been heard
from the Commissioners.
Because of this situation, Dr. Car
usi plans to seek authority from Con-
gress this term TO present proposed
school bills directly to the Senate and
House District committees, which would
then send copies to the Commissioners
with power to demand action in the
form of an expression OF an opinion
from these officials after a reasonable
lapse of time.
Similarly, the president of the school
board feels that the school estimates
should be submitted directly to the
Bureau of the Budget before whom the
Commissioners would be able to appear
along with school authorities to thrash
out the relative Importance of the
school needs and those of the District
Government departments. The school
board, unwilling to admit that
it does not already possess authority
for this course regarding proposed
legislation, last month returned to the
Commissioners its original estimates for
1880 without making any changes in
volving the cutting of practically
S1.000,000 from the total in accordance
with the Commissioners request.
All these proposals for the better
Yfient of the school system will be in
cluded in the school boards program
Of action during the next few weeks
and the consensus is that this year
will witness one of the greatest strides
toward a smooth-running school system
of any recent year.
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