Evening star., 1941-09-07
S17,934,672
For DC. Schools
Asked for 1943
$3.50, STA Boost
Would Permit Many
Expansion Projects
BY DON S. WARREN.

An outlay of sl7,934.672 for the
public school system for the next
fiscal year has been proposed by
school authorities to meet emer-
gency demands caused by the de-
fense influx, to catch up on some of
the backlog of needs and to satisfy
some of the normal growth prob
lens.
The 1943 budget requests Of the
Board of Education and School
Supt. w. Ballou made public by the
Commissioners, call for an increase
Of s3,850,574 over current appropria-
tions, or about 27 per cent. But the
total is less than sums asked by
school authorities in four previous
years. The peak request was S18,-
$4,000 for 1910
Most of the increase sought Is for
expansion projects. For these pur-
poses 1883 ,525 is proposed, or more
than double the amount allowed this
year. For 26 building projects the
school board asks S3,773,525, an in
crease of 81 $40 098; and for 10 land
items, $4,000, an increase of $780,
900.
S2,50O, 900 Federal Aid Sought.
Also requested is about S2,500,000
under the Federal aid program un-
der the Lanham Act to meet de-
fense- caused expansion. School Of
flcials said it was inevitable that
some items in this list would dupli-
cate requests carried in the regular
l943 estimates.
Declaring that a systematic pro-
gram should be adopted for re-
placement of old elementary schools,
the board calls for funds to replace
IA dilapidated buildings with the
construction of six modern build
ings. 1t also seeks funds to replace
Hine Junior High School and tor
plans for new Wilson and Miner
Teachers College buildings. Wilson
College would be erected on the
grounds of the old tuberculosis hos
pital, Thirteenth and Upshur streets
NV. Miner College would be locat-
ed in the vicinity of Twenty-fourth
street and Benning road NE. and
S65, 900 is sought for its site.
Plans for construction of q new
junior high school near Thirty
fourth street and Minnesota ave-
nue. Sc. are revealed in a request
for $4,000 for the purchase of a
site. The new Junior high to re-
place Hine would be located in the
vicinity of Ninth and c streets Sc.
for which S175,000 is asked for a
site.
More Clerks Asked.
Special importance was attached
by the school board to its requests
for considerable increase in clerk
hire. Funds are asked for the en-
ployment of 43 more clerks and it
was declared present personnel had
been worked overtime for the last
two years and it was believed "the
burden is too great to be continued
very long"
Five additional school principals
and 10 additional assistant prin-
clpals were asked. along with l46
additional teachers and librarians.
Seventy additional summer school
teachers are sought. as we'll as 81
more custodial workers In all, the
board asks 335 additional personnel.
In his letter to the Board of Edu-
cation, DR.. Ballou invited special
attention to four major items de-
scribed as follows:
The estimates for salaries for
clerks, custodians and teachers for
the schools in Divisions 1918 (col-
ored) represent an attempt to meet
increased demands on those services
which had not been met adequately
IN recent appropriation bills.
Public school buildings are rap
idly deteriorating owing to made
quate appropriations for main
tenance and for major improve
ments such as roofing, the installa-
ton of sanitary toilet facilities. new
flooring and interior and exterior
painting.
The replacement of antiouated
buildings is problem of major i'm
portance. The estimates for 1943
undertake to follow up the report of
the special committee made at the
request of the Appropriations Com
mittees of Congress relating to this
subject.
The estimates for supplies and
equipment as we'll as school house
construction reflect the increased
cost due to the rise in cost of ma
terials as well as in labor costs"
The Building Projects.
The building projects were out
lined as follows:
For completion Of the Million
dollar Kramer Junior High School.
Seventeenth and @ streets Sc, for
which a partial appropriation al
ready has been made, $27O,125:
For completion of the Sl,158 900
Splngarn extensible senior high
(see SCHOOLS, Page A-8J