Evening star., 1951-01-30
New Bond Issue
For Arlington
Schools Backed
Most of 300 Persons
At Meeting Express
Preference for Method


Preference for Method
A new bond issue for school
construction was advocated last
night by a majority Of Arlington
residents who attended a mass
sponsored by the School
Board.
Meeting at the Kate Waller
Barrett School, most of the 500
persons attending urged that the
county float bonds instead of
some other method to
finance school construction.
Last November county voters
rejected a proposed bond issue Of
SIS million for school building
Colin c. Macpherson, School
Board chairman, told the audi
ence that possible methods of
financing are a bond issue, pay
ment through increased taxes,
combination of these two, or some
other method"
The straight "pay-as-you-build"
policy, by means of added taxa
ton, drew little support, but some
sentiment was expressed in favor
of at least a token" appropria-
ton from new taxes as a down
payment"
Board Feels Need.
William A. Early. superintend-
ent OF schools, said the board feels
there lis no question that we need
the buildings" Paul Netzer of
the Citizens Committee for School
Improvement predicted increased
enrolment this fall will overload
school facilities to the point of
near breakdown"
Indorsing the bond issue pro-
posal were spokesmen for the
Democratic Council, the Repub-
lican Executive Committee, the
County Council of Parents and
Teachers and the chairman of the
Schools Committee of the Civic
Federation.
State Senator Charles r. Fen
wick, speaking for the Democratic
Council. said the group favors a
bond issue to build elementary
classrooms and a junior senior
high school. PAY as you go
would be beyond the means of
many taxpayers" the Senator
said.
Warning on Tax Boost.
The bond issue proposal should
be one that is "sure to pass" /.
Lee Potter, County COP chairman;
declared. The party has indorsed
a $3,515. 900 bond issue. A token"
payment could be made from cur
rent revenues to equip the new
schools. Mr.. Potter said, but he
warned that any increase in cur
rent taxes would be highly un-
popular"
The secretary of the Arlington
Chamber Of Commerce, Robert j.
Johnson, urged the School Board
to make haste slowly" The
Board of Directors be-
lieve the accent should be on
the bond issue. but combined with
pay-as-you-go"
Three other speakers indorsed
the use Of current revenue for
equipment Of schools built with
bond issue money.
The School Board should not be
"too timid' in setting the amount
of the bond issue, Harold Sand
bank of the Abingdon School PTA
told the group. Howard Cannon
OF the PTA Council, urged the
board to consider that "some 900
of our students are in temporary
classrooms." He said bond issue
lis the only way that can provide
money now."
Present Quality Urged.
A bond issue of "at least $5.8
million" has the support of the
Charles A. Stewart PTA, Malcolm
Miller reported. That organiza-
ton has also gone on record with
a request that the quality of
schools not be lower than at
present"
A former School Board member,
o. Glenn Stahl, urged support of
a bond issue as "a more salable
product" than financing plan
with a "pay-as-you-go" provision.
To make a substantial reduction
in the amount of the bond issue
would require such high taxes that
the whole program would be en-
dangered, Mr.. Stahl said.
Mr.. Early announced that
meeting on 'The Type of School
Construction You Want" will be
held in the new Stratford Junior
High School on February 26.