Evening star., 1940-08-11
School Budget
Of $18,346,369
Asked for 1912
$5,561,477 Fund
Requested for New
Buildings and Sites

iAS plo,o1o,oUo ycStcIudy WAS SuU~
mitted to the Commissioners by the
Board Of Education, accompanied by
a letter from Mrs. Henry Grattan
Doyle, board president. emphasizing
the need for replacement Of "anti-
quated, unsanitary buildings"
The estimates exceed the 1e41
appropriation by more than $780,
600 but are well under the boards
request of s19,105,517 last year.
Supt. Of Schools Frank w. Ballou
described the budget as contemplat-
ing meeting to some extent the ac-
cumulated needs of the last decade
rather than plans for the future.
Pointing to reductions in school es-
Inmates since 1880, he said the un-
met needs will continue to accumu-
late in volume and urgency unless
the appropriations are sufficient.
Largest increase in the new budget
is the item for new schools and land
purchase, which is S5,561 ATT, COM
pared with the present years So11,-
000.
Nine New Schools Asked.
In her letter of transmittal Mrs.
Doyle said it is unfortunate that,
through lack of appropriations,
many of our children must of ne
cessity spend several years in school
buildings that are a disgrace to the
Nations Capital" She said that
splendid teaching" is being done
in "dingy surroundings" and en-
phasized that better facilities would
promote better health and better use
Of leisure time.
l wish particularly to emphasize"
she said, 'the need for replacement
OF antlquated, unsanitary buildings"
Nine new schools, including a new
Abbot Vocational, are asked for.
along with funds for additions to
seven existing structures and plans
for eight other schools and additions.
Completion of the Anacostia Junior
High School and the addition to the
Syphax School are called for: also
the finishing of six rooms at Wood
row Wilson High School and the
second floor of the Lafayette School.
Most of the new schools sought are
elementary ScnOOlS.
Money for 81 new sites-some for
future use and some for immediate
construction use-is asked.
143 New Teachers Sought.
More than $50 new positions are
requested, including 143 new teach
ers, 18 officers. 35 clerks, 40 Gus
todians and number of other part
time posts.
AS the result of a survey which
found the lighting in some of the
older buildings below standard.
s29 900 item is requested to improve
lighting.
Request also is made for s35,-
353 to establish science laboratories
at Armstrong and Dunbar Senior
High Schools and at Deal, Eliot and
Stuart Junior High Schools.
An item appearing for the first
time would give 10 school officials
an allowance of $3.50 each a
month for driving their own cars
on official business. Another item
of 81 900 would cover their expenses
out of town on official business.
Despite the fact that education Of
the shut-in children was placed for
the coming school year under the
Board of Public Welfare, the school
officers, who always have. felt it an
educational rather than welfare
matter, again have asked for S24.-
900 to handle this project during the
1912 fiscal year. This would pay 16
teachers
Music Item Included.
Despite previous rebuffs. the
school chiefs again asked for s7,540
to purchase musical instruments. A
survey of school musical organiza-
tions has shown some unbalanced
due to the heavy expense of larger
instruments. In some cases these
have been donated by parent
teacher groups, but the schools are
anxious to start five-year pro-
gram to build up supply of some
instruments such a. tubas.
The sum of $4,000 is sought for
an unde, iJass between Powell Junior
High School and the johnson Build
ing under Hiatt place NV.
Civic spokesmen and others will
have an opportunity to testify on
the budget estimates before the
Commissioners August 26 and 27.
Last year the Commissioners cut
some S5,000,000 from the school
budget-principally in construction
items. This will be the first budget
to go to Congress under the new
Budget Bureau policy under which
the bureau will no longer concern
itself with city administrative de-
tail except when national interests
are in danger. Thus the burden of
making the city budget from these
and the estimates of the other de-