Evening star., 1940-11-03

'in the District and thus is entitled to
have these taxes credited against
the tuition. Tuition for the year at
the teachers college is S249.75. The
schools refused and he has taken
the matter to court.
Similar Case.
Basis for the schools stand is q
similar case about two years ago
where Maryland father demanded
his taxes paid in the District be
credited toward the tuition of his
son, also student at Wilson Teach
ers College. The father presented
his tax receipts in returning the
tuition bill unpaid and since the
amount covered the tuition for the
first half year he was allowed the
credit. BY the time the second half
rolled around, however, and he made
the same claim, but school officials
refused to credit the amount because
he had not paid the second half
taxes on his District property. He
took his case to the corporation
counsel, who agreed with him that
he was entitled to the credit. During
the conversation, however, the man
dropped the information that his
son was over 21-an adult. The
auditors Office refused to accept
the ruling of the corporation counsel
on the matter and appealed to the
Controller General, who upheld the
auditor, according to school sources.
Thus the issue develops as to
whether a parent should be allowed
to credit taxes paid against the
education of an adult.
In this particular case, however
the schools probably have very litth.
chance of gaining victory ever
though the ruling Of the court
favors their stand. AS one school
official explained it, the student in
volved Is a senior at Wilson. Under
regular procedure she is allowed to
continue until the case is disposed
Of. If it gets on the court docket
and comes up in the spring or
summer, she may easily be grad
uate by that time.
Previous experience has not left
school officials overly optimistic
about collecting the money even
when there Is no question scout
their right to do so. The Corpora
ton counsel, it is understood, has
decided against prosecution for tut
ton owed in another case because the
cost of preparing the case and TAX
ing it into a MARYLAND jurisdiction
might be more than the money in
volved.
5000 Pupils Annually.
Since the gates have been open to
non-residents, each year finds nearly
5000 getting their education free
here at a cost to the District Of
something like s225,00O. Efforts
have been made almost annually to
require tuition from such students
by House members considering the
! District appropriation bill, but the
staunch opposition of Senator Car
ter Glass Of Virginia has always
prevailed.
Because of the tuition situation
where few pay and most don't,
school officials are always fighting
subterfuge of those trying to crash
the free tuition groups. In one case
false address, was established at the
home of a relative, for example.
1t has generally developed, too,
that non-residentS have at varying
times caused congestion in some Of
the border line schools because OF
the efforts of the school officials to
put the children in the schools
nearest their homes. However, at
several schools and in several grades
at other schools, non-residents are
not admitted this year because Of
the demand of the local community,
A member of the Board of Educa-
ton once facetiously suggested that
cure for the nonresident situation
would be the concentration of the
nonresident children in schools al.
the way across town from their
homes and the use of practice
teachers on them.
Despite their feelings, however
that District schools should b
operated only for District resident
on a tuition free basis, schoo
officials have always tried to treat
everybody alike and probably hence
forth non-residents will continue ia
owe their education to the benevo
lence of District taxpayers in in
creasing numbers.