Evening star., 1946-04-03
School Budget Slash
To $17,412,472Cuts
Building Program
By Morton Wode DoyIe

BY MorIon Wode Doyle
A record-making budget of ST.
412,472 has been recommended by
the House Appropriations Commit
tee for the public schools. but this
sum represents a s2,073.628 cut in
what school officials estimated to be
their basic needs"
While the budget Is considerably
higher than the $l5,036, 800 appro-
priated for the school system during
the current year, the increase takes
care mainly of increased operating
costs and represents a slash of
81, 1882, 300 in vital" proposed con-
struction.
The $2,O08,00 recommended for
construction included provision for
six of the most badly needed schools
Bell Vocational. Spingarn High
School, Sousa and Miller Junior
High Schools, Nalle Elementary
School and completing the Davis
Elementary School.
But the bill omits additions to the
Taft Junior High School. Anacostia
High School and Tyler Elementary
School. Also eliminated were the
Walker-Jones and Logan Elemen-
tary School requirements, intended
to relieve congestion among colored
students in the Northwest and
Northeast sections.
DR.. Hobart M. Corning, superin-
tendent of schools, commented that
the S19,486,100 budget requested
had been set up on basic needs for
efficient service" Any cut quite
obviously" he said, means an i'm
pairment of that service"
Alternative Outlined.
Colored school officers particularly
were "dismayed" to learn that 80
new teacher positions were cut from
their estimated payroll. School off,
cials had sought additional teach
ers to relieve 104 classes on part
time.
Commenting on this teacher cut,
the House Appropriations District
Subcommittee declared:
The committee is of the opinion
that the services of teachers have
not been sufficiently utilized. In
schools operating two shifts, teach
ers are required to teach only 32
hours per day,
THE committee urges the Board
of Education to utilize a greater
portion of the teachers time. 1t is
believed that through proper ad-
ministrative procedures, the need
for additional teachers can be met
by adjusting the hours of teachers
now employed"
A. K. Savoy, assistant superin-
tendent in charge of colored ele-
mentary schools, said only by plac-
ing heavy loads" on colored teach
ers will the administrators be able
to cope with the loss of the antici-
pated new teachers. There always
have been too many pupils per
teacher in the colored schools and
now the classes will have to be even
bigger, Mr. Savoy said.
Nineteen of the positions had been
intended for the 24-room Thomas
Elementary School and the 16-room
Turner Elementary School, opening
in the Northeast section in the fall.
The other positions were four voca-
tional high school teachers, two in
the senior high schools and five in
the Junior high schools.
In addition, salary requests for
l20 additional laborers, intended to
relieve the load on engineers now
operating eight-room buildings by
themselves, also were cut. Several
clerks and supervisor for census
enumerators were eliminated
Item for Auto Thrown Out.
The school officers also had asked
for funds for an automobile and a
chauffeur to drive Board of Educa-
ton members and officials around
on inspection trips. In eliminating
this item, the committee commented
that one car could hardly accomo-
date nine members and the super
intendent of schools, and granting
one car would be followed by re-
quests for nine more. Also other
public boards might begin to follow
suit. the committee remarked.
Another request eliminated was for
a Sl00 pay raise for the two teachers
now serving as professors of military
science and tactics. to elevate them
to the status of department heads
Now the two officers direct the
activities of the boy and girl cadets
in the white and colored schools
on the same level as the teachers
they supervise, the school officers
had said in making the request.
Construction Provided.
The s2,008,000 for construction
specifically provides:
For continuing Miller Junior High,
$400, 900; for continuing new extern
sible high school to replace the Bell,
in Brentwood Park, S370,O0O: for
continuing Spingarn Senior High,
Twenty-fourth and Benning road
Sc. S500,000; for continuing Sousa
Junior High School, Thirty fourth
street and Minnesota avenue Sc,
100000. For the Sousa, the limit of
cost was raised to ST $1,350,0OO.
For beginning construction, the
Nalle 24-room elementary school
with assembly hall-gymnasium, East
Capitol street and Benning road
Sc, $300,000, with a contract limit
of 100000. For completing the
second floor of the Davis Elementary
School, $4,000.
The $296,200 for sites provides:
For purchase of sites for new
| junior high and a 24-room elemen-
tary in the vicinity of Pomeroy road,
Douglas street and Stanton road
Sc, $196,200
At the Shaw Junior High. to re-
place playground area needed for
building alterations and to provide
Nfh t1l0