Evening star., 1947-08-17
B D. {. Schools
To Take Part in
Lunch Program
Report Explains Citys
Loss Of S137, COO in
U. S. Aid Last Year

The ironic situation which found
the District crying for more welfare
funds at the end of the last fiscal
year, but unable to use s137,000 In
Federal aid for school lunches, is
expected to be Strengthened out this
year.
= Harry M. Gardner, District super.
visor OF the Federal aid school lunch
program, said yesterday he antici-
pated that 28 or 80 of the Districts
SO schools with cafeterias may take
advantage of the program In 1941.
4S rather than the comparatively
few which participated last year.
This statement came when re-
porters queried Mr.. Gardner on
prospects for the year ending July
i. 1948, after reading his annual
report to the Commissioners on the
lunch and penny milk programs in
which he recounted how the city
had lost out on the $4,000.
Called Coed News.
1t was good. news to Welfare
Board spokesnen who said there is
greater need than ever of using all
available welfare aid this year when
funds have been cut 81 900 900 and
families with school-age children
may be cut from the rolls.
Mr.. Gardner said a big objection
made by school principals to taking
part in the program has been the
paper work that supposedly was in
volved in using the Federal aid.
The experience of Central and
Coolidge High Schools, Washington
and Phelps Vocational High Schools,
Taft and Jefferson Junior High
Schools and johns Quincy Adams
Elementary School, has demon
strated, he said, that the paper
work amounts only to one brief re.
port month.
Work on New Contract.
The Corporation Counsel's once
now is working on a new basic con-
tract by which individual schools
may take advantage of the program.
It Is a simplified version of the one
worked out last fall after the stand
ard Federal contract used In the
states failed to meet the special re-
of District law.
. The District is entitled to
$500. .587.25 in food and milk aid in
the current fiscal year. This is less
than was available last year be-
cause Congress appropriated only
$65, 600, 900 for, the Agriculture De-
partment to spend on the program
nationally instead of the SIS, 900, 900
voted last year. Cut from the
$75,000,000 request for 194S was
$40, ,000,00 to help schools buy cafe
terra equipment.
The figure for each State and the
District Is worked out by means of
4 formula based on the per capita
income, and school enrolment as
compared to the national average,
plus school enrolment. ~,
Balance Reverts to Treasury.
Under it the District was ent,tled
last year to $236 6,5363 36 with $20O, O,5S7.-
Is for food and milk and $35, ,949. So
for cafeteria equipment. 1t actually
accepted s99,510.42 t$63,561.31 for
food and milk and the full amount
for equipment) leaving $137,025.e4
which was reallocated to other parts
of the country.
On top of that there remained on
July l, 1947, an unobligated balance
in food and milk funds amounting
to $9,259.13 and an unobligated bal
ance in cafeteria equipment funds
totaling s20,181.74. Both these
amounts reverted to the United
States Treasury under the terms Of
the national school lunch act.
Norman j. Nelson, associate su.
perintendent Of schools, who is act
ing head Of the school system in the
absence OF DR.. Hobart M. Corning.
yesterday backed up Mr.. Gardner's
prediction that more schools would
take part in the program this year.
Mr.. Gardner's report disclosed
that children in 73 District elemen-
tary schools consumed 1885, ,608 pints
of Grade A milk under the Districts
penny milk program.
This accounted for $36,722.16 of
the $54, ,30218 in Federal food and
milk funds the city actually spent
during the year, leaving only ST.
530.02 that was actually used for
food in the seven schools taking ad-
vantage of the lunch program.
Mr.. Gardner said that he and
school officials hope to have the new
contract and other arrangements
ready in time for the opening Of the
school year next month.