Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-01-23
Plea for School
Funds by Civic
Bodies Seen
BoIIou Points to
Cuts at Meeting
OF Citizens

Civic groups probably will seek
restoration Of many items dropped
from the 1941 school budget by tho
Commissioners and the Bureau Of
the Budget, when hearings open
several weeks hence.
Some 200 representatives Of various
white and colored organizations met
last night at the Thomson School for
the annual report by school officials
on the school budget as it reached
Congress, and heard from Supt.
Frank w. Ballou Of especially painful
slashes in estimates for new teach
ers, maintenance and repair, and
fuel.
The Board Of Education originally
sought ITO new teachers for the
coming year for new buildings and
to relieve congestion, particularly in
the junior and senior high schools,
where in some instances the gen.
orally falling birth rate throughout
the country has not yet been felt.
The number of new teachers was
cut to 46 by the Commissioners and
by the Budget Bureau to 81. DR..
Ballou said since 1926 only 443 new
teachers have been added to the
system, when 1873 would have been
needed to maintain the same pupil.
teacher ratio that then obtained.
Repair Items Below 1929.
In connection with repair and
sSkA IS kt,H
grounds, DR.. Ballou reported to the
citizens that since 1929 more than
$19,0O0,000 worth Of new buildings
have been added to the system and
yet the repair estimates for the COM
ing year are even less than those Of
1929. Carpentry, masonry, plaster
ing, glazing, painting, heating and
ventilating were given as some Of
the items severely curtailed in the
past decade.
The superintendent also pointed
out that even the badly slashed esti-
mate of $465,47 which is some
5000, 900 less than the board asked,
cannot all be used for repair due to
mounting costs in the repair shop.
He referred to increased payments
for sick leave, holidays and annual
leave, which this year jumped the
cost by more than $4,000 which
could not be used for repairs. DR..
Ballou made it clear he was not
opposing the leave provisions. but
said he thought he ought to point
out that many school repairs which
would have been made out Of this
fund must now be annually post.
poned to future years"
| Sees Repairs Accommodating.
TT is the judgment of the school
ofncers,"' he told the group. that
deterioration due to neglect in prop
er maintenance eventually will re-
suit in a large expenditure to over.
come the years Of neglect due to
lack of sufficient funds"
1.-THE further expansion Of the
school system" he added, will add
to this neglect"
He said he had received more
communications about this repair
work from civic groups than about
almost any other item in the school
budget.
The appropriation for fuel and
heat and light was estimated at a
little more than 1925 900 for next
year due to new buildings which will
enter the system in the fall, but this
was cut to some $306, 0O0-a cut Of
more than $1,000 below the present
appropriation.
1--WE may have to curtail some Of
the activities in the schools at
night" DR.. Ballou said, "even with
the present appropriation, since We
are spending more relatively per
week in this item than we did last
year due to the cold weather. We
will certainly have to curtail some
Of these activities next year II the
$306. 900 figure remains"
School Board Vice President Rob-
ert A. Maurer emphasized to the
delegates that there was nothing to
prevent their going before Congress
in the interest of any item cut from
the budget, but DR.. Ballou pointed
out that the school officials are pre-
vented by law from asking any more
than was approved by the Budget
Bureau.
Among the items which spokes-
men indicated they would seek to
have included in the budget when
the hearings open were a new roof
and repairs for Western High
School, an increase in the item for
school gardens, an assistant princi-
pal for Woodrow Wilson High
School, funds to begin construction
of new Negro senior high school
at Twenty fourth street and Benning
road NE, for which funds for plans
have been approved by the Budget
Bureau; teachers for home instruc.
ton of shut-in children.
School officials attending the ses-
sion included Mrs. Philip Sidney
Smith, Crate E. Dunkum, Col. West
A. Hamilton and Mrs. Velma G..
Williams, all members Of the Board
of Education; Assistant Supts. Rob-
ert L. Haycock and Jere j. Crane
and Mrs. E. z. Watkins, secretary
of the board.
Thief (1efs 700 famnla