The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-01-23
REPORT HITS
POLITICIANS
Reorganization Plan Keeps
the State Board of
Equalization
By J. c. BASkERVILL
The Timcs-NcwS Rurcan
Sir Walter Hotel

RALEIGH, Jan. 23.-lhe rec
concentration that the board OF
equalization not ONLY be retained,
but that it's duties and jurisdiction
be enlarged to include both high
schools and county superintend-
ents, came as distinct blow TO
the school politicians who for the
past two years have been bending
every effort to Securt its abolition
and to have complete control OF
school matters. including the dis
tribution of all school money,
placed back in the hands of the
state department Of public IN
struction.
When the committee on reor-
ganization of state government
was first appointed, the school
forces were jubilant and believed
that it would surely recommend
the complete abolition of the
board of equalization. But 1t
turned out that this committee
was interested in bringing about
economy and even more economy
than in the past. When the COM
mittee investigated it found that
the board of equalization had re.
duced the total expenditures Tor
the public schools from $2S,6lG,'
6O3 in 1929-30 to approximately
100000 for the present school
wear of 1928. reduction OF
more than $6,500,O00 in three
years. These figures include the
total amounts spent for all pur-
poses and for both the six months
and extended terms. 1t also found
that most if not all of this redue-
ton in expense had resulted from
the economies enforced upon the
schools by the board of equaliz&-
ton under the powers given it UNI
der the new school law enacted IN
1881.
As a result of the excellent
showing made by the board III
equalization. which also showed
tina the economies effected had
not resulted in any reduction in
school efficiency or in standards
of instruction, the committee on
governmental reorganization has
recommended that the board be
continued but that it be given still
greater regulatory powers over
the public schools and over coun-
tv superintendents. 1t is agreed
that this recommendation will not
prove pleasing to the county SUI
perintendents. who have led the
compaign against the board CT
equalization in an effort to get it
abolished.
The specific recommendation
made by the reorganization COM
mittee is as follows:
"a division called the board of
equalization has been set up {.
with certain powers and control
over the school administration OF
the state. and your committee
recommends that the powers and
duties of this board of equaliza-
ton in connection with the con-
duct and administration of the
public schools of the state. shall
be somewhat enlarged, extended
and made more flexible to the end
that greater economy may be eff
fected and emergencies met in the
administration of our public
school system"
With regard to the public
schools. the reorganization conf
mittee further recommended:
7. That legislation shall he en-
acted to prevent "repeaters" IN
the public schools. which would
bring about an estimated saving
of S180,000 a year.
2. That the department of edu-
cation either eliminate supervisors
or reduce them to minimum. in
order to effect a saving of $780,
900 a year.
8. That all appropriations for
the public schools he put under
the control of the advisory budget
commission, as are all other state
funds.
4. That the board of eQualiza-
ton be given power to fix and
regulate the high schools and to
fix the teaching load in all the
schools and to lay down rules and
regulations governing county SUI
perintendents.
The committee recommends CIV
ing to the board of equalization
and to the budget bureau exactly
the powers which the school forces
have feared might be given and
which they instead wanted to be
given to the state department of
public instruction or better still,
to newly created state board of
education. composed of school
people.
There are already definite indi-
cations that the North Carolina
Education association, which is
controlled almost entirely by the
county and city superintendent,
together with their most effective
propaganda organization, the
North Carolina Parent Teacher as
ISOLATION and their lobby here, are
going to make an intensive effort
to defeat the recommendations of
this committee. But at the pres
ent time, a majority in both
houses are undoubtedly on agree
ment with the committee.
Red Cross Not