Evening star., 1948-06-12
McNayr Attacks
School Board
Budget Letter
Plea to Porents Called
Worst Outrage
Have Heard or

Have Heard Of
: The Montgomery County Board
Of Education has been accused of
issuing a completely misleading
=. and emotion-arousing" letter in an
attempt to obtain the county COM
missioners' approval of its proposed
$3,429 ,969 budget for the coming
fiscal year.
The accusation was made yester-
day in a statement by County Su-
perviser Irving G. McNayr.
He referred to letter signed by
H. Stanley Stine, school board pres
ident, protesting Mr.. McNayr's pro-
posal to cut $544,501 from the Board
Of Education's request.
Mr.. McNayr issued his statement
after receiving a mimeographed let
ter brought to him by his 7-year-old
daughter Mary Ann, who said she
had received it from her teacher at
the Rockville Elementary School.
Sent Via Children.
The letter, signed by Nathan r.
Gilbert, president of the County
Council of Parent Teacher Associa-
tions, was attached to copy of Mr..
Shines letter. It was addressed ito
all parents" and asked them to write,
call, wire or see personally the
county commissioners and to urge
them to support the proposed Board
of Education budget
Mr.. Gilbert, when called later. said
similar letters had. been distributed
in all county schools. The names,
address and telephone numbers of
the commissioners were given on the
letters.
Mr.. Stine's letter, which was pub
fshed Wednesday in The Star, said
that in order to give the teachers
the raises promised them it would
be necessary to make six drastic
changes in plans. They we're to hire
no additional teachers. to eliminate
kindergartens. to eliminate music,
art and physical education classes,
to reduce librarian and counsellor
service, to eliminate the driver
training program and to make it
necessary for elementary school
principals to teach thus reducing
supervision of instruction.
Budget Held Adequate.
Mr.. McNayr's answer was that so
additional teachers and all the Serv-
ices threatened with elimination
were provided for in his revision of
the Board of Education budget.
Terming Mr.. Gilbert's action "the
worst outrage I have ever heard Of, "
Mr. McNayr declared:
II feel the activities of the Board
OF Education, its administrative staff
and the Parent Teacher Association
council are to be deplored.
Deplores "Demagogic Tactics"
II also deplore the demagogic
tactics which have been employed
by these pressure groups in an age
and time when cooperative effort
would achieve far better results"
He denied it would be necessary
to eliminate or curtail any school
services under his proposed budget
as claimed by Mr.. Stine, adding that
the School Board would get ap-
proximately s5O0,O00 more than its
current appropriation. He said this
sum represents the additional reve-
nue. expected by the county as a
result of the increase in the county's s
realty tax revenues.
The proposed budget of the county
supervisor" Mr.. McNayr said, was
based on giving teachers the same
salaries they received last year plus
between S1O0 and 5000 additional.
It also provides for so new teachers
at a starting salary of at least $500
a year each, he said.
Would Curtail Teachers Pay.
Mr.. Stine's letter. however, said
that s333,099 of the proposed bud
get cut would force the Board OF
Education to place more than ~
per cent of the teachers on pay
schedule below the amount they
should get according to their train
ing and experience"
The limitation of last years bud
get, the letter said, held teachers
pay below a publicly approved
schedule for the same teachers
This places a penalty on prepara-
ton and long service which will
discourage all teachers" the letter
went on.
Board at Fault.
The Board of Education appar-
emily is trying to lay the blame for
failure to put older teachers on the
new pay schedule on the county
commissioners" Mr.. McNayr said.
1T is pointed out to all teachers
and taxpayers that failure to recog-
nize training and experience in
determining salaries for a period OF
years is clearly due to faulty ad-
ministration on the part OF the
Board of Education itself"
Mr.. McNayr said the salaries OF
the county's 1888 teachers range from
$4,000 to the principals top pay OF
S6.7O0, and average s3.569.
He explained that his proposed
budget would raise the average to
s. 1895 with top salaries for prlnci-
pals at $500. The Board of Educa-
tion's proposed budget. he added.
would raise the average to s4,0lo
with a maximum for principals OF
$7,100.
Highest County Pay in U. S.
The county supervisor contended
the county is paying teachers more
than any other county operated
system in the United States.
He pointed out sufficient funos
we're appropriated last year to place
all teachers on new salary scheo-
ule recommended by himself and
County Controller Alexander K;
Hancock. But he claimed school
authorities drafted a much more