Evening star., 1952-03-05
Surplus Fairfax
Funds Sought
For Schools
Board Request to
Supervisors Involves
Up to $SS7 900

Up to $685., 900
What to do about Fairfax
County's 81 million tax surplus
was before the Board of Super
visors today, after the School
Board asked permission to spend
that portion raised by the school
levy.
School Board members voted
the request yesterday on motion
|of Robert F. Davis. He esti-
mated between $790, 900 and $751;
600 above budget estimates will be
raised by the school levy.
The School Board announced
Iit would spend most of the sur
plus for new construction and, at
the same time. indicated even
more money for building would
have to be raised by a new bond
issue.
School Supt. w. T. Woodson
presented a list Of 40 new class
rooms, which. he said, will be
needed in addition to the current
building program by 1858. He de-
clared that current building,
financed principally by a SOS
million bond issue, was planned to
meet the county's needs through
September, 1851. The present en-
rollment. he said, already calls
for 50 additional classrooms be-
yond the present building pro-
gram. Litigation over sale of the
school bonds delayed the present
construction program for over q
year.
No Figure Set.
The cost of the program recon-
mended by Mr.. Woodson was not
estimated, and no figure was sug-
gested for a new bond issue.
School board members said an
other bond issue Is the only way
possible to raise enough money
for the additional schools.
The surplus has been the sub
ject Of controversy in Fairfax
County ever, since last summer,
= when a reassessment pushed prop
erty values above all expectations.
The tax rate was set on an UNDER
estimated assessment.
Parent teacher groups have
asked that the money be spent
for schools, and other groups
have threatened court action un-
less the surplus is applied to next
years budget to reduce the tax
rate.
$77,710 Job Awarded.
= The school board yesterday
e awarded a $77,710 contract to
y Whitener & Skillman of Arling-
ton for construction of an addi-
# ton to the Louise Archer Colored
d School at Vienna. The addition
e will include four new classrooms,
: a clinic, bookroom, teachers room
v and library. The contract price
is $4,000 above the amount set up
: in the bond issue.
= 1t was decided to heed the re-
= quests of colored citizens and
d eliminate an elementary school
: wing from the new colored high
:. school to be built at Merrifield.
y Delegations of colored citizens
+, have protested the proposed COM
d bination. School officials said the
= added expenditure Of building a
separate elementary school in the
y Baileys Cross Roads or Mount
: Pleasant area. plus the purchase
: of another site, would mean the
= elimination of some features from
: the high school plant.
: School officials announced that
an increased teacher salary scale
lis being included in the 1898
l. budget, now being prepared. The
: new scale of $4,000 to $4,50O is
g $400 above the old one.
: More for Bus Drivers.
y Mr.. Woodson said higher pay
e for school bus drivers also is being
! put in the budget in the hope of
" attracting more adult drivers. The
:, new budget proposal would allow
- 5000 a month for bus drivers.
= ! Adult drivers now receive $100 a
- month, and students receive $50.
The proposed new school bus
,eldriver salaries were brought up,
after a report was made on the
is school bus accident Monday, in
n which four students were slightly
= injured. Assistant ,Supt. ]. ".
!. Rice said there was no apparent
Al negligence on the part of the =
year-old student driver and that
l. police have not charged him.
# The Taxpayers Advisory Asso-
le citation recently complained to the
N school board about the use Of stu
dent drivers.