Evening star., 1935-01-07
SCHOOL INCREASE
SOUGHT IN BUDGET
$11,392, $50 for 1886 Asked
in Estimates Sent to
Congress.


million dollars over the 1885 District
public school appropriation is pro-
vided in the estimates sent to Con-
gress today by the Budget Bureau,
calling for $11, 1,392,150 to finance the
school system during the fiscal year
1886. This, as usual, is the largest
item in the District budget.
This figure represents a slash Of
s538,812 from the total of $780,
962 recommended by the District
Commissioners after they in turn
had cut deeply into the requests Of
school officials for S14,ll7.9ll.
The relatively small amount asked
for construction of new school build
ing facilities bore the brunt Of the
cut, accounting for a reduction of
1895, 900 from the Commissioner
recommendation. The total asked for
buildings and grounds was $l,1l0.-
900. The Budget Bureau pared this
to s775,OOO
The exact increase in the 1895 es-
innate over last years appropriation
Of sl0,4s0,s27 is ssol,223.
More Teachers Sought.
This increase is principally ac-
counted for by the provision for a
boost Of $l,189,140 in the fund from
which are paid the salaries of teach
ers and Librarians, not including in
structors in night and vacation
schools, for handicapped children and
in the Americanization School. The
additional money would make possible
the employment of "a more teachers,
one librarian and four persons en-
gagged in the character education ex-
pertinent. Almost all the new teach.
ers would be used, however. to stat
new schools and annexes, now under
construction, which will open next
Fall.
The sum advocated for salaries Of
regular teachers and librarians is
1888, 100, as compared with the 1885
appropriation Of s5,763 $50.
Despite the increase in the 1885
estimates over the current appropria-
tions, school officials are not satisfied
with the Budget Bureau recommenda-
tions. President Hayden johnson Of
the Board of Education pointed out
that the normal growth of the school
system, which received approximately
1000 additional pupils this past Fall,
requires a larger appropriation each
year. He called attention to the fact
that the school appropriation was cut
by slightly more than s3,000,000 in
the fiscal year 1884 in the name Of
economy.
Still Below 1881 Total.
This slash resulted in such re-
trenchments as refraining from filling
vacancies created by designations or
retirements, abolition of certain Jobs,
adding class room instruction to the
duties of certain officers and directors
and elimination Of teachers who re-
signed that their husbands positions
IN the Government might not be
jeopardized under the multiple en-
ployment provisions Of the economy
act.
Although each succeeding appro-
priation since that time has been
larger than the preceding year, no
restoration has been made of the
drastic 1884 slash, with this years
budget estimates still falling far short
Of the Sl3,892 800 which was ap-
propriated for the schools for the
fiscal year 1881.
DR.. Frank w. Ballou. superintendent
Of schools, refused to comment on
the Budget Bureau recommendations.
First Assistant Superintendent
Stephen E. Kramer said he consid-
cred the elimination by the Budget
Bureau of the Commissioners recon-
mendation that some $4,000 be ap-
propriated to construct a building
on Government owned property just
north of the tuberculosis Hospital to
replace the old Dennison Vocational
School, the most serious blow to the
schools In the Budget Bureau figures.
Six New Jobs Provided.
He pointed out that the present
Dennison building is unsuited for its
present use as a girls vocational in
stitution. 1t is located on S street
just east of Fourteenth street and is
one of the city's oldest school struc-
lures.
Six new construction projects are
provided in the new estimates. Recon-
mendations for land acquisition are
conspicuously absent, despite request
by school authorities for s5l5,500 for
this purpose.
The 1885 appropriation for the pur-
chase of additional land at the Phelps
Vocational School for elementary
school purposes, at a cost of SIS 900,
was continued.
Projects recommended by school
authorities. but eliminated on their
rough road to Congress, included:
Completion Of the second floor OF
the Hardy School, $35,000; compile
tion of the second floor of the Shep-
herd School, $35 1000: an assembly,
gymnasium at the Whittier School.
$4,000; an eight-room addition and
assembly-gymnaSium at the Trues-
dell School, sl55,000; four class rooms
and unfinished space for four addi-
tional rooms at the Bunker Hill
School. s1l5 900; an elementary school
on Bladensburg road near Mount
Hamilton, s115,000: an eight-room
addition and assembly at
the Ketcham School, s155,000 an as
Sembly- ly-gymnaSium at the Monroe
School, $4,000: an eight-room addi-
ton and assembly gymnasium at the
Grimke School, s190.00o: an assem-
bly-gymnasium at the Giddings
School; room for cleaning and dye
ing at the M. NJ Washington Voca-
tional School, s7,500; a 1O-room ad-
dition and gymnasium at the Paul
Junior High School: improvement Of
the stage and corridors Of the Shaw
Junior High School; plans for q new
senior high school in Manor Park,
$4,000; Armstrong High School cor
ridor and gymnasium remodeling,
5000, and plans for q new senior
high school in northeast Washington,
$4,000.
School facilities provided In the
current appropriation which will be-
come available next Fall, absorbing
most of the additional teachers provid-
ed for in this budget. are the Woodrow
Wilson High School, an addition to
the Browne Junior High School, an
eight-room building in the vicinity
of the Logan School, the Anacostia
Junior High School, four-room addi-
H. l. G-l