Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-26
COMMISSIONERS UNABLE TO FIX
SCHOOL BUDGET PROCEDURE
District Officials Oppose
Change in Educational
Expenditures.
Chairman Simmons Declines
to Invite Board for Re-
view of Estimates.

Wow vi 60klbtIdkVOa
The Board of Education, in its deter
| mined effort to bring about a change
| in the procedure of handling the bud
getary estimates of the public schools
| to prevent possible reduction by the
/; Commissioners, will run into an i'm
penetrable wall of opposition from Dis
trict ofhcials, it was indicated today at
| the District Building.
Fortified with legal opinions showing
| their control over the fiscal affairs of
| the public schools, the Commissioners
| it was said, plan to follow the usual
policy in connection with consideration
of the forthcoming 1881 estimates. If
| the school board refuses, like it did last
year, to make reductions ordered be-
cause of budget limitations, the Com
missioners, 1t was pointed out, will again
do the trimming themselves.
The discussion of the treatment to
be accorded the school budget by the
Commissioners was revived at the Dis
trict Building by the action of Chair
| man Simmons of the House subcom-
mittee on appropriations in fatty re-
fusing an invitation of the school board
to go over the estimates in advance of
commissioners.
Representative Simmons pointed out
that such a procedure would constitute
a discourtesy to the Commissioners.
Moreover, he declared quite enphatical-
ly that he was not in sympathy with
the boards plan to have the requests
of the schools for funds submitted to
the Budget Bureau by the Commits
sioners In total and without revision,
allowing the Commissioners only the
recommendation as TO what items
should be allowed or disallowed.
Resentment Is Seen.
Although reluctant to discuss the re-
buff given the board by Chairman Sim
mons, the Commissioners were repre-
sented as feeling that it probably would
nave far reaching moral effect on
the school board and preclude a con-
troversy when the school estimates come
up for consideration.
Proctor@L Dougherty, chairman of the
Board of Commissioners, laid stress,
however. on the relations between the
school board and ' the Commissioners,
explaining that the attitude of the Com.
missioners should not be misconstrued
as. unfriendly, On the contrary, he
said, q strong spirit of comfy exists
do everything possible to aid the schools,
but there are certain fundamentals of
law governing their action with respect
to the estimates of the schools and all
other municipal departments which
must be followed.
In ANTICIPATION Of q discussion with
the school board over its estimates, the
Commissioners made a study OF various
decisions, opinions, rulings and other
data bearing on the relation of the
schools to the municipal department. all
Of which, 1t was said, conclusively
proves.
First, that the public school system, or
the board OF education, as the case may
be, ID o branch Of the District govern
mert, and with respect TO appropria-
lions is subject to the control of the
Board of Commissioners as the head Of
the municipal government; and, second,
that the Commissioners, as the head Of
departments of the District government,
not only have the power, but are
charged with the duty Of revising the
estimates of appropriations submitted
by heads of branches of the municipal
government 10 them. including the esti-
mates Of the Board of Education.
McCarl Decision Cited.
A recent decision of Controller Gen.
eral McCarl in connection with the
status Of the Public Utilities Commits
sion Is used by District pficials as one
illustration to show that, the school
board is under the control of the COM
missioners in SO far as appropriated
funds and the accounting therefore are
concerned.
In this opinion the controller general
"a 14 EAt he rciT T4fAf
independent, establishment, but should
be considered as a part Of the, Govern
ment of the District. of which the
Board of Commissioners was the head.
In passing on this question. he took
occasion to place the school board on
parity with the utilities commission.
This point lis considered Importantly
District officials In dealing with the
power OF the Commissioners TO revise
the estimates OF the school board in
their capacity as head of department"
within the meaning of these words as
they appear in the budget and account
ing act Of 1921 Under the latter the
school board is required to submit its
estimates Of appropriations to the bud
get officer for the District, and the
Commissioners, as the head of depart
ment," are empowered under Section
$40 "a 4NF&SC S0SAi CStAAA&ASC6 NS1OAI
their submission to the Bureau Of the
Budget. Consequently, 1t was pointed
out, there is no obligation On the part
OF the Commissioners TO send to the
Budget Bureau the estimates in the
form transmitted to the budget officer
Of the District by the school board.
DIR. Carusi Remains Silent.
DIR. Carusi, president of the School
Board, would not comment upon Rep
resentative Simmons letter today, de-
claring that the public school system
of the District could not be benefited by
controversy between him and the
| chairman of the subcommittee of the
House committee on appropriations He
| did say, however, that his efforts to
bring about what he had consistently
maintained were improved conditions
in the relation between the Board Of