Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-10-08
Federation Asks
Vote
..
On School Board
Would Maintain
System If Arlington
Becomes City

Becomes City
The Arlington Civic Federation
believes the School Board should
be elected by the people if the
county decides November to be-
come a city.
i The recommendation, adopted
by a nearly unanimous vote, would
continue the present system Of
electing School Board members.
The federation took no stand on
the main question of whether
darlington should become a city.
At a meeting last night in the
Lyon Park Community House,
some delegates opposed one of
the reasons given in favor of cleo
ton of the School Board by the
people. This reason, as pre-
sented by Arthur G. Conover of
the Schools Committee, cited "the
outstanding progress under an
elected School Board in improv-
ing the Arlington schools in the
last five years."
This provision of the resolution
was strongly opposed by Harley
Williams of the Columbia Pike
Citizens Association. He pro-
tested that the present school
curriculum is inadequate. the con-
struction program is inefficient
and the method by which School
Board members were nominated
| is undemocratic.
Deletion Voted Down.
Mr.. Williams motion to delete
the commentator of the board
was defeated by vote of 48 to 10.
The Schools Committee, in its
report on incorporation, expressed
fears that, if Arlington becomes a
city. the School Board might find
itself faced with an unavoidable
fiscal relationship with the city
manager and city council.
The city budget. after its adop-
ton, could be changed only on
recommendation of the manager
and council, the committee said,
and no change of more than 10
per cent could be made in the total
ALLEGATION of funds to any depart
ment. Such procedure. the COM
mittee said, could result in such
infeXibility as to be alarmingly
inefficient, actually wasteful of
funds and frustrating to the
School Board"
With respect to the general nom
financial powers of the School
Board under city status. the COM
mittee found there would be no
difference from the present system.
City status would leave un-
changed the funds received from
the State and Federal govern
mentS.
Same Bond Issue Routine.
The same procedure as at pres
ent could be followed in petition
ing for a bond issue election.
The City Council could issue
without referendum short term
capital debentures, policy the
committee believes might prove
useful for some school purposes.
Under the proposed city charter,
the School Board would consist of
five members chosen for four-year
terms. Each members term would
terminate at the same time. The
committee believes there are defii-
mite advantages in having the
terms on a staggered basis and
recommends that legislation be
passed to provide this, if incor-
poration is approved.
The committee noted that
voters will ballot on the specific
question of whether the City
School Board should be elected
by the council or by the people
Favorable Points Listed.
The arguments in favor of
selection by the council, the COM
mittee said, include:
Administration would be inte-
grated, because the council would
appropriate school funds; a better
balance of varying viewpoints
might be attained; high caliber
persons loath to seek election
might be willing to serve. and
there would be an additional rea-
son for citizens to elect the very
best men and women to the coun-
Gil.
The committee cited these rea-
sons in favor of election by the
people:
The School Board, distinctly
different phase of city govern
ment. must be held directly &C
countable by the people them
selves; election will rule out the
possibility of political appoint
ments: citizens develop keener
interest in their schools; popular
election is more democratic, and
many Arlington citizens feel that
experience with an appointed
School Board in the years before
1916 was decidedly unsatisfactory"
In other business, the federation
voted to ask. the County Board
to pass an ordinance requiring
that after reasonable length of
time, use of outdoor toilets be
discontinued in dwellings abutting
county sewer an water lines.
1t was also voted to ask the
declarations Executive Committee
to study traffic problem on the
Pentagon road network at the
Navy Industrial Relations Build
ing. Oscar r. LeBeau, who intro
Iduced the resolution, said that
the three-lane highway leading
from Highway Bridge to Shirley
highway narrows to two lanes at
that point.
BIockmun Heads Committee