Evening star., 1933-04-06
RELIEF FROM CUTS
i'm SCHOOLS SOUGHT
Board to Ask Senate for
Hearings on Supply Bill.
Salaries Face Slash.

oAoA tulS d1GCiuOOu oil C1Oit W uc-
wise ways and means of operating the
school system in 1884 on an appropria-
ton that is $3,633,s17 less than this
years appropriation.
The grimness of the problem which
the board is attacking was established
definitely at the boards regular meet
ing late yesterday when DR.. Frank w.
Ballou, superintendent Of schools, re-
ported officially that the task facing the
schools means not only the exercise
OF every possible economy and any pos
sible reorganization of the school sys-
tenn, but also inevitable curtailments
In many features of the established edu-
cational program"
DR. Ballou's 13-page report, which Is
an exhaustive analysis of the entire
school budget problem, is being made
the basis Of today's discussions and
study The report lists the effects of
the slashed estimates and outlines In
detail the facts on which the School
Board may base its attempt to solve
its dilemma.
Among Effects Of Cuts.
Chief among the effects of the cuts
are:
/. Increased congestion becoming
acute in the senior high schools and
necessitating general double shift pro-
grams In these buildings
2. Inadequate supplies for teaching
purposes, with inevitable corresponding
effects ON the efficiency Of instruc-
ton"
3. Reduction In pay scale Of officers
and teachers in the vacation and night
schoolS-if such cuts are legal-and
fewer Of these schools and, consequent
ly, smaller enrollments In them.
In addition to these effects as the
superintendent sees them, the school
authorities are confronted with the ne
cessity Of saving $271,627 in officers,
teachers. librarians, attendance off,
GERS and custodians' salaries over and
above the Is per cent pay cut already
authorized by Congress for Govern
ment salaries, the report shows.
VIII Appeal to Senate.
Upon receiving DR.. Ballou's report
the board Immediately voted to ask the
Senate for hearings on the 1894 Dis
trict OF Columbia appropriation bill in
NAA SAAOAs w nave oOAlC VI tIlc severe
cuts eased through the restoration of
items and amounts carried in the
conference report bill which failed
OF passage In the last Congress.
George Whitwell, chairman of the
boards Finance Committee, made
the motion for this petition to
the Senate, and Henry Gilligan.
chairman of the Legislative Committee.
seconded it.
Only one item in the entire school
budget, DR.. Ballou's report showed. is
larger than the current appropriation
allowed. That is the item for the edu-
cation OF colored deaf children, and
the amount was raised from SIS, 500 this
other items are identical with the 1888
appropriations: Retirement annuities
remain at $400,000 and the item for the
education Of white deaf children re-
mains at $3l 500. All other appropria-
ton items suffered substantial re-
duction, not only below the appropria-
tlon Tor 1888. but also lower than the
appropriations agreed to by the con-
ference on the bill which failed. the
report asserts.
Personnel Items Slashed.
The school personnel items, DR.. Bal
lou reported, appear" to have been
uniformly reduced to cover the Presi-
dents Is per cent salary reduction and
moreover, leach of the personnel items
has still further been reduced below the
actual cost of such personnel items
during the school year 1888" This
actual cost of personnel items was COM
puted, the report explains on the basis
OF actual expenditures through Febru-
ary %, and the estimated expenditures
through March, April, May and June,
1888.
Using these computations as a basis.
Or. Ballou estimates in his report that
the school authorities must do the fol-
lowing:
/. Find ways and means of operating
In 1884 with $24,753 less for school
officers than was available this year.
over and above the Is per cent salary
cut.
2. Finds ways and means of main
tanning clerical staff with $3,126 less
than In 1888, over and above the IS
per cent pay cut.
3. Find ways and means of operating
with $219, l60 less for teachers and
librarians than in 1893, over and above
the is per cent salary cut.
A. Find way to effect a reduction
in the department of school attendance
Is per cent reduction in salaries; this !
additional saving being equivalent to
approximately two attendance officers
a year.
s. Find way to maintain the school
custodial staff in 1884 with $21 ,706 less
than was available in 1888 even after
the reduction Of Is per cent in the
custodians' salaries.
RadnnaI Cor~so. U.~->-l~
Besides the personnel problems. tha |
school authorities are confronted in
their session this afternoon with the
prospect of reduced service which here
tofore has been provided the people OF |
the District and their children, the |
Ballou report shows. The activities and |
items which have suffered reductions |
and their respective cuts for 1894 below |
the 1888 appropriation include COM
munity center department, $l1 900; fuel |
gas and electricity for school buildings, |
$55,000; furniture and equipment, S. |
65l; repairs and improvements to build |
ings. $1l2,500; playground equipment, |
$2,500; maintenance of tubercular and |
crippled children, $4,000; and trans |
portation of tubercular and crippled |
children, $500. Besides these items. |
the customary improvements to school |
grounds probably would not be made by |
virtue Of the complete elimination from |
the 1884 estimates Of the $l00 900 which |
this year was reappropriated out of un- |
expended school balances
Commenting on the elimination of
estimates for all school buildings and |
ho n,- nnyI {v& hi