Evening star., 1937-03-30
District Supply Bill Allows
But 54-CIeriCaI Work
CurtaiIed.
RIDER ADDED TO END
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Measure Provides School Libra
rians Cannot Receive Higher Pay
Than in Free Libraries.


and Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, chair
man of the Board of Education, that
there is an acute need for SO addi-
Ntional teachers, the House Committee
on Appropriations today reported the
District supply bill with provision for
only 54
Half are to be used in new buildings
being completed and the other half
to relieve the present congestion in
the old. The specified proportion of
the new instructors is 36 in divisions
i to 9 and 18 in divisions 10 to 13.
The bill also carries the legislative
rider that teachers shall not perform
any clerical work except that Incl
dental and necessary to classroom
teaching assignments. The report
declares it is the opinion of the COM
mittee that teachers are saddled with
an unnecessarily burdensome task"
compiling data that are not put to
any practical use Chairman Ross A.
Collins, of the subcommittee, declared
that at least 1870 teachers in the Dis
trict school system are performing
clerical functions.
Psychological Tests Hit.
The rider was admittedly inserted
with view to bringing to an end the
work of the School Research Depart
ment which conducts the various
psychological tests such as scholastic
aptitude examinations. This type
of test drew a barrage of criticism
from Collins during the hearings on
the bill. The chairman not only saw
no value in the tests but declared
they took away from the classroom a
number of teachers who should be
teaching He could further see no
way that the data compiled from these
tests was being used and felt that
clerks could perform the work equally
as we'll as the teachers
Dr. Ballou and the school officials
put up a vigorous defense on the
ground that the tests enable the
teachers better to know their pupils
capabilities and hence to adapt the
courses to the best effect. The work
involved is not clerical but super
visory, they asserted. The chairman
was unimpressed.
There is an additional legislative
rider to the bill to the effect that
school librarians can not be more
highly paid than those in the Free
Public Library.
S7,157,820 Total.
The total amount appropriated for
all teachers and librarians was ST.
157,820, SOS 900 less than the amount
approved by the Bureau of the Budget.
The recommendation of 1888 800 for
administrative officers is $1,000 less
than the budget estimates The diff
ference consists of $4,000 in additional
salary lapses and the denial of So
200 assistant principalship to the Arm
strong School, the committee ex-
planned.
The sum approved for clerks and
other employees is SITS, $40, the same
as last year, the committee feeling
there was not sufficient justification
shown for any additions suggested in
the estimates
One of the major recommendations
made by the committee is that trans
ferring nearly half the appropriation
for the District Fairgrounds to the
Community Center Department under
the Board of Education. This amounts
to $99,565. The Center was also given
an additional $4,000 as an entirely
new item in the recommendations for
exclusive use in building up Boys
Clubs. The total amount listed for
the Center including old and new
Jurisdictions is S216,565.
Provide S4OO, 900 for School.
For the first time in the history of
the District, the Appropriations Sub
committee has undertaken to christen
school, job ordinarily left to the
Board of Education.
The sum of 100000 is recommend
I'd for the establishment Of the Thomas
Jefferson Memorial High School and
Library as monument to the states
man and educator who was the first
president Of the District Board of
Education.
The library, though for school use,
Is to be under the board of trustees
of the Free Public Library. The pro-
posed health center at the same loca-
ton was not approved, and the total
cost of the entire project is not to
exceed 100000.
Other building and land site recon-
mendations include provision for a
new senior high school at Fifth and
Sheridan streets for which $450,000 is
suggested and a limit set for total
cost of $1,35OOOO. A new Lenox Vo-
cational School is also provided for
with suggested appropriation of
$160000 and a top cost limit of $780,
900. The top limit for the Dennison
Vocational School is raised from $780,
900 to $336,O00 because Of increased
construction costs.
Night School Provided.
Stipulation is also made in the
night school appropriation of $94, ,180
for the establishment of night school
in the western section of the town, the
concentration of population being, in
the eyes of the committee, sufficient
A contingent fund of $4,000 for addi-
tional expenses is also provided.
Five thousand dollars is slashed
from the budget estimates for the
transportation of crippled and tuber-
cular children on the basis of a so per
cent decrease in enrolment, the COM
mittee said. The amount allowed is
$4,000.
The committee felt that rudimen-
tary science, with its putt-putt boats,
Florence TASKS and balloons could be
suspended indefinitely unless the ap-
preparation for school gardens could
be stretched to cover it. 7 $4,000
requested for the science was not al
lowed.