Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08

1CdtlOn. .
1t is the legislation providing for
Of Education is prepared to strive de
1929-3o. But in promoting the interes
items the school board cannot and will
pairing the school system budget for con
The budget is prepared by the boards
finance committee, with the advice and
counsel of the superintendent of schools
and his assistants, and represents the
best thought and judgment, after ex-
haustive hearings, study and discus
sion, of the school authorities. It is not
based on guesswork, but is most SCI
entif1cally prepared. The Board of Edu-
cation insists that this budget, as pre-
pared and submitted by it to the Com
raissioners of the District of Columbia,
should be forwarded In its entirety by
the Commissioners to the Bureau of the
Budget with their recommendations,
and that the Bureau of the Budget
should in turn forward it to Congress
with its recommendations The refer
ence Of this question to the various
citizen bodies of the District resulted
in the practically unanimous indorse-
naent of the boards position.
Chief. perhaps, among the other four
problems confronting the Board of Edu-
cation is that of supplying to pupils
throughout the elementary and high
school courses of the public school sys-
tenn with free textbooks and supplies.
Legislation providing for these supplies
has been sought for some years, and the
Congress that adjourned last March
showed its entire Willingness to pass
the bill, the House having passed 1t
unanimously, the Senate failing because
of the filibuster of one of its members
The bill has been introduced again in
the Seventy-first Congress.
Textbooks and supplies have been fur
nlshed pupils in the elementary schools
since 1891. Prior to that time and
practically since the authorization of
the public school system textbooks and
supplies were furnished free of charge
to pupils whose parents were not finan-
c1ally able to procure them In 1891
the system of furnishing all pupils in
the first four grades with Textbooks
and supplies was inaugurated, and it
was extended gradually until books and
supplies were furnished to all pupils at
tending the elementary schools.
Would Extend System.
The proposed legislation extends this
system of books and supplies to the
pupils OF the ninth, tenth. eleventh and
twelfth grades of junior and senior high
schools At the present time parents
OF pupils attending these schools are
required to purchase the textbooks and
supplies necessary for the instruction
OF the pupils These books are not of
the type usually kept for home libraries.
and the result of the present system is
that thousands of books are purchased
annually by parents, only to be dis
carded at the end of the school year.
It Is estimated that the original cost
OF introducing this system into the
junior high schools and the senior high
schools will be approximately s242, 088,
OF which amount approximately SIS 900
WIN be expended for supplies. After
the original introduction the annual
appropriation required to maintain the
system will be approximately 500, 1000,
OF which amount $55,000 will be re-
CURED for supplies and $45,00O for the
replacement Of wornout and insani-
tary books.
The extension of the system of free
text books and supplies to the Junior
high schools and the senior high schools
has the Endorsement of all civic organ.
1zations In the District of Columbia and
the enactment of this legislation will
reduce to parents the cost of the edu-
cation Of their children, while at the
same time it will not materially in
crease the cost of the maintenance of
the public school system to the tax
payers. The only registered opposition
to this bill in the last Congress was
that Of an individual who failed to sign
his protest. I understand he profited by
the present system of book and supply
purchases.
Second Building Program.
The committee on legislation, in com
junction with the superintendent of
schools and his assistants, has prepared
a second five-year building program,
covering the. five years beginning July
j, 1880, after giving most careful con-
s1deration to the needs of the District,
as presented by representatives of or
CARNATIONS assembled for that purpose,
Prior also to the preparation of this
Dill thorough survey was made to de-
tern1ine what buildings should be
abandoned. enlarged or reconditioned,
and exhaustive reports were before the
committee from school authorities as to
local needs throughout the District.
This program. In legislative form, has
been in the hands of the Commissioners
Of the District of Columbia since the
latter part of 1928. It's justification lies
in the undoubted success of the first
f1ve-year program, SO far as Congress
has made possible its completion A
statement prepared in December, 1928,
by Dr.. Frank w. Ballou, superintendent
OF schools, while modified by appropria-
tons made for the present fiscal year,
state clearly the financial aspect of the
proposed program as follows:
1.-THE total estimated cost of the first
five-kear school building program was
$20, 1885, 600. Appropriations were made
through June 80, 1929, amounting to
$11 1855, $50. This leaves a balance Of
$B,315,750 yet to be appropriated to
complete the FIRST program
THE estimates for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1880, carry land and
building items amounting to $1,000 900.
Assuming that this amount is appro-
priated, there win be left balance of
$685. $50 yet to be appropriated under
the first act.
There are certain savings that will
be made because of lower costs of con-
struction and because of change Of
conditions since the first five-year bill
was drafted. The superintendent esti-
mates that these savings will amount
to 81 ,325,000. If these. savings mate
rialize, it leaves approximately $5,030,-
$50 yet to be appropriated under the
authority of the first five-year school
building program act.
1.-The estimated cost Of the second
five-year school building program Is In
round numbers $5,750,o00.
THE sur of the amount remaining
to be appropriated under the authority
Of the hrst act, namely, 5000, $50, and
the estimated cost of the second act OF
IS, $50, 900, is $40, $50, $50.
This amount, in the judgment OF
the school officials, is the minimum
necessary to- house properly the public