Evening star., 1938-10-26
NEWSET-UP URGED
FOR D. c. SCHOOLS
Survey Committee Asks End
to Overlapping Of Officials
Functions.

Reorganization Of the District gov
ernment to remove the overlapping
functions between the Board Of Edu-
cation and the Commissioners Is rec
commended in 4 star survey Of the
Presidents Advisory Committee on
Education made public today.
The overlapping functions between
the two groups have been q source of
irritation and dissatisfaction" the
study states
The solution suggested by the survey
is in line with that suggested by the
report submitted to the President last
spring in which greater local control
Of the educational system in the Dis
trict is recommended
The authors Of this latest survey,
DR.. Lloyd E. Blauch, stan specialist
Of the committee, and Dr.. J. Orrin
Powers, for many years q member Of
the faculty at the George Washington
University School of Education, rec
ommend the enactment of compre-
hensive code of basic general legisla-
tion for the school system of the Dis
trict, but specifically condemn con-
gressional legislation on details Of
policy as unjustified by sound princi-
piles of government and administration.
Power for School Heads Urged.
Under the committee proposals this
general code should delegate to school
officials broad powers and ample au-
thority to maintain and develop .
system of public education adequate to
the needs of the Capital City"
The study, one of 10 being UNDER
taken by the committee stan, points
out the expenditures per pupil in aver
age attendance in the District schools
are high compared with 10 cities of
over 100000 population. The Districts
figure for 1856 was $12412, against
an average in these cities of $1O7.19.
Five OF the cities had higher expendi-
lures and three Of these were In New
York State.
Attention is also called to the more
than 1000 nonresident students ed
ucated annually in the District schools
at a cost of more than 100000 to
District taxpayers because the children
do not pay the special fees customary
Tor children Of non-residents in other
cities" The survey states:
The education of such pupils en-
tirely at the expense of the District is
difficult to justify, except possibly in
the case of children whose parents re-
side on Federal reservations where no
public school facilities are provided"
Resident Tuition Backed.
The report adds that special provi-
sion for these children should be made
near the reservations by the Govern
ment. Other nonresident students
should be admitted to District schools
only on payment of at least a part
OF the cost of their education and
II the school facilities are sufficient to
accommodate both resident and non-
resident pupils.
District schools are seldom in the
forefront in new and experimental
types OF education. it is asserted, but
the schools for the colored children
are probably among the best to be
found" among cities where a dual
school set-up is maintained. Voca-
uonal guidance and placement are
markedly inadequate and only limit
ed program of health education is pro-
Vided, the authors stated.
In accordance with the committe.,
report of last spring, the two staff
investigators felt simplification OF
the budgetary procedure is necessary.
The Board Of Education should have
exclusive control over the ALLEGATION
CT funds within budget limitation,
with the possible exception of large
capital outlays.
Budget Procedure Hit.
Responsibility for administration of
this lump-sum budget should be fairly
hxed on the board and on no other
agency and they should be, of course.
compelled to justify estimates to Con-
gress, it was said. The present pro-
cedure, under which school officials
must appear successfully before the
Commissioners, Budget Bureau and
Congress to justify each item of ex-
penditure was specifically condemned.
Division of authority between the
Board of Education and the Commits
sioners results in the reservation to !
the commissioners of many powers |
directly related to the program of edu-
cation, the report continues. In addi-
ton to supervision of the budget, these
include planning and construction of |
school buildings and their repair and
also direct control of the school nurses
and a large part of the health pro-
gram" in the schools.
A well-drawn code will eliminate
much OF this confusion Of administra- |
ton, the authors decided and the need
Tor such code is 80 urgent that