The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-12-05
FACTS FAIL TO
 BACK AUDITOR, ASSERTS 80 ARD
Local Sch o ol Board Re. views School Transpor-
 tation Controversy

corroborate Auditor Coles state ment" on that matter, the Juneau School Board today issued de- |.tailed reply to MT. Cole. It analy- zed the bids fully and declared it's action in the premises "accords with the general policy of the School Board to try to pro- |stect themselves and the taxpay- CTS"
 Tn as much as Auditor Cole, in his controversy with the Territorial Board of Review, has laid some strictures upon the Juneau School Boards action in connection with the Bert Johnson school bus trans pcrtation, the Board feels impelled to answer MT. Coles statements in that respect" it said. Acted for Territory The Boards statement follows in full:
 q. The contract is actually be- tween Johnson and the Territory While the School Board signed the contract, the contract itself states that the School Board is acting as the agent of the Territory. The School Board signed the contract in accordance with written instruc tions. dated August 20, 1881, to il from the Commissioner of Educa tion, who authorized the School Board to do so under the provisions of Sec. 83, Oh 97, Alaska Sess Laws 1929, which provide as fol l lows:
 "The Commissioner of Education with the approval of the Governor as President of the Territoria. Board of Education, may author ize school boards to enter intc contracts for the transportation of pupils, bith within and outside the boundaries of school districts who reside a distance of more than two miles from the schoo they are required to attend, Ol where such transportation is nec- essary to afford children an oppor- tunity to attend school. The cos; of such transportation shall bt paid by the Territory of Alaska from appropriations made there. for, but no obligations shall be in cured in any school year in ex- cess of 50 per cent of the appro. priation for the biennium. Bids Not Required "2. Although the law does no require it. the School Board, in ac. cordance with its customary policy publicly advertised for bids las July. The call for bids was fol transportation, on each school day of students from the Auke Lax, Bridge to Juneau and return, viz the Glacier Highway.
 8. Four bids were received namely:
 Bert Johnson, $8.5O per schoo day.
 Peter Christensen, $23O0O pel school month.
 Third bid, $1400 per school day
 Fourth bid. $500 per school day
 A. The school year consists ol 9k school months of 20 schoo days, or 38 school weeks, and run' from Sept. 8, 1881, to June 3, 1882 Days on which there is no school or on which holidays are observed are not counted as school days Holidays customarily observed art Alaska Day, ArmiStice Day Thanksgiving and following day Lincoln's Birthday, Washington Birthday, Stewards Birthday, Sew ards Day, and Memorial Day. II addition are the Christmas Holi' days, which this year will extent from Dec. g, 1881, to Jan. 4 1892, of which two days are con sidered as holidays and one weel is not computed in the school tern or year. The school year contains l79 school days. Probably at leas one or two more days, in practice will be deducted, particularly dur 1 ing graduation week.
 Christiansen Bid Cited
 "5. MT. Christiansens bid wa s23000 per school month. Any O the following constructions of hi bid discloses that Auditor Cole 1 in error in stating that Christen sens bid was lower than John sons.
 .(a) $230O0 per school mont for 9h months, of 4 school week each, $2185.0O.
 (b) $230O0 per school month 10 8-19-20 school months of 20 ac tual teaching school days each s2058.5O.
 | Co $230.00 per calendar mont , for 8-5-6 calendar months (Sep' , 8. 1881, to June 3, l932), s203l .6t tO $230 per calendar month 10 period Sept. 8, 1881, to June 1882. but excepting 10 days 10 , Christmas Holidays. $l955.0O. , The School Board, doubtless als lthe Commissioner of Education