Evening star., 1942-09-13
Board
Due 10 Back Custodial
Pay Rises in Schools
Engineer Shortage
Improves, but Situation
Still Is Critical

The Board of Managers Of the
Congress of Parents and Teachers
this week is expected to approve
a resolution demanding that salaries
of custodial employees in the Dis
trict schools be raised to level
which will insure adequate staffs for
all school buildings.
The resolution will be submitted
to the board at, meeting at 10:30
am. Tuesday in the National Edu-
cation Association building by the
Committee on Custodial Services in
the Public Schools. The committee
met early last week as the result Of
publicity given by The Star to a
disclosure that four buildings might
not be opened for lack of licensed
engineers to heat them, and that
nine more faced serious understaff- :
ing.
Since The Stars first article on
the engineer shortage three weeks
ago, according to R. E. Robson,
superintendent of custodians, con-
ditions have improved but are still
critical"
The four schools threatened with
closing can possibly be opened by
shift of other employees, he indi-
Gated, but many of the schools will
run with less than the required
number of staff assistants.
Six Hired Recently.
Mr.. Robson has hired six licensed
engineers in the last weeks, he said,
more than he had found in months
before he disclosed the engineer
shortage. In addition, he said, the
morale of all the custodial employees
is higher because they feel that
something might be done" about
their low salaries. The custodial
pay raise bill, which gave all of
them small raises beginning last
month, was the first boost for them
since 1923.
There is still need for higher pay,
Mr.. Robson contended, when com
petent engineers with families to
support are receiving little more
than $100 month" The staff is
also hopeful, he said, that provision
will be made to shorten the long
hours that engineers, particularly
those in the high schools, have spent
in the evenings since civilian defense
organizations and other groups
started meeting in the schools.
The P-TA congress will interest it
self in the engineer shortage, accord
ing to Mrs. P. C. Elicit, president,
because 1T is important to the de-
fense and the war effort that the
schools remain open.
Other Levels Cited.
I'm addition" she declared, 'it is
of vital Importance to the health
and safety of the children that the
buildings be manned by custodians
competent both in ability and char
acter.
Certainly" Mrs. Elicit added,
''the salaries of custodians for the
public schools should equal that of
custodians of other buildings in the
District of Columbia"
School engineers are receiving as
low as $500 and 81 500 a year,
while the minimum salary for engi-
neers in other branches of the Dis
trict government is $1,000.
Congress first learned of some of
the custodial difficulties last De-
cember, Mrs. Elicit said. A COM
mittee on custodial service was ap-
pointed, with Mrs. Alma Hudson,
Mrs. c. D. Lowe and Mrs. William
Linden as members. The committee
met last week to discuss the serious
shortage and will submit plan of
action to the entire board Tuesday.
Mrs. Hudson, vice president of the
Congress, will preside over the board
meeting in the absence, through i'll
ness, of Mrs. Elicit.