Evening star., 1948-02-25
County 10 Revise
Private School
0rdinanceDrdft
Montgomery Board
Yields in Fight
On Proposals

The Montgomery County commis-
sioners today were planning to re-
wise their proposed private school
ordinance as a result OF strong op-
position to several of its provisions
by representatives of about 20 OF
the approximately so private educa-
tional institutions In the county.
A public hearing on the proposed
ordinances was held yesterday in
the Rockville Courthouse, during
which the commissioners said they
would eliminate a provision for a 81
annual fee for each paying pupil at
tending q private school. IS
At the opening of the hearing,
Thomas G. Kelley, assistant counsel
to the commissioners, told the ap-
proximately 10 persons present that
the existing county school ordinance
is wholly inadequate"
Safety Is Factor.
He emphasized that the board
docs not intend to tax schools as
such but merely to assure their
safe operation and to set up fees
designed to cover the cost of admin
istration."
The 10 school representatives who
spoke were united in their opposition
to the proposed 81 per pupil charge
while an attorney representing Arch
bishop Patrick O'Boyle Of Washing
ton asked that the four parochial
schools for which he spoke be ex-
empted from the proposed $25 an
nual license fee.
The attorney, Frederick Stohfman.
referred to st. Michaels School and
st. Bernadette's School, both in
Silver Spring: Our Lady Of Lourdes
School, Bethesda and st. Martins
School, Gaithersburg.
He added that the Madames of
the Sacred Heart, who operate day
school on the Rockville pike, favor
a reasonable" fee to cover health
and fire inspections Of the irstitu-
ton.
Object to License.
1--WE object to any license to con-
duct a school," Mr.. Stohlman de-
clared. THAT is right inherent In
the Constitution.
He pointed out that the five schools
referred to relieve the county Of
educating about 1,750 students and
that "if they close, it would put an
additional $250,000 on the county In
educational costs"
Both Mr.. Stohlman and Joseph
A. Cantrel, representing the George
town Preparatory School and the
Bulls and Landon Schools, con-
tended that the fire and health in
spection provisions in the ordinance
are unnecessary since the State al
ready has such powers. .,a
Although 4 law passed in April,
1875, exenpts nonprofit educational
institutions from payment Of o IL
cense fee, Mr.. Cantrel said, the
three schools would not oppose the
$25 license fee.
Fee Called Satisfactory.
j. Fendall Coughlan, representing
the Academy of Holy Names, Silver
Spring, also said the proposed s25
license fee was satisfactory. But
David Belts, representing the Rock
vile Episcopal Day School, termed
it too high and suggested 50 or $3.50
a year.
r. Duncan Clark, attorney for the
Chevy Chase Junior College, opposed
provision calling for issuance of
licenses in September He suggested
that licenses be issued on or before
August /.
Other speakers included Mrs. Wes-
ley McCune of the Cooperative
Nursery School Council, who also
asked that the proposed $25 license
fee be reduced; DR.. Heber H. votaw
of the Seventh-day Adventist insti-
tutions in Takoma Park; c. s. Long
acre, a member of the oBard of
Trustees of the Washington Mis-
sionary College, and Mrs. Cynthia
Warner, who operates the Cynthia
Warner School.