Evening star., 1952-12-21
Prince Georges
5-Year School
plan Proposed
$27.5 Million Asked
To Care for Expected
| l4,500 More Pupils
By J. l. MichoeI

A five-year Prince Georges
County school construction pro-
gram costing $27.5 million was
proposed last night by Superin-
tendent William S. Schmidt.
Predicting that pupil enroll
ment, now totaling 37.10O. will
reach $1,000 by 1856. Mr.. Schmidt
also advocated legislation author
izing county bond issues and new
formulas for State and Federal
laid.
His proposals present county
authorities with a dilemma of the
first magnitude because:
/. The county's Indebtedness is
lat the maximum recommended by
financial authoritieS-about 7 per
cent of it's $500 million assessable
base.
2. Under the new Maryland as
sessment law the base can not be
Increased for three years.
8. Some of the county commits
sionerS have repeatedly said they
will oppose further bonded in
idebtedness.
1000 on Double Shifts.
The report will be reviewed by
the school board and the county
commissioners. If approved. it
will be presented to county law
makers with a request for enabl-
ing legislation from the Maryland
General Assembly which meets
1ext month.
Mr.. Schmidt pointed up the
need for more physical facilities
with statement that more than
1000 elementary students are on
double shifts. He added that most
# the remaining enrollees study
n buildings lacking sufficient
classrooms and other accomoda-
ions.
In report summarizing ap-
oraisals of school needs, the
superintendent and his staff
emphasized that construction
Should, by all means, continue
unabated."
A seven-year contraction pru-
-ram. for which 1854 million has
,een expended or earmarked is
hearing completion in Prince
Georges. 1t was financed by $15.9
million in county bonds. $6.3 mill
lion from the State credit pool.
and two grants-one. SIT mill
lion ALLEGATION from the State,
the other a $2.5 million impact
gift from the Federal Govern
ment.
Bond Authority Lacking.
Today Prince Georges lacks au-
thority from the General ASSEM-
bly, to sell bonds for any purpose.
An indication of how deeply
interest payments dip into public
funds can be seen in the fact
that taxpayers must pay about
$4,000 in interest charges on a
recent $175.000 bond issue. The
20-year indentures were sold at
a normal average interest rate of
Slightly less than 3 per cent.
The States new real property
assessment law provides for re-
valuation of one-third of the
county each year but bars record
ing Of new figures until the en-
tire county has been reappraised.
The resulting assessable base
freeze" threatens to make bond
sales impracticable.
The Schmidt report did not
specify how much money will be
asked for the first phase of the
proposed program. Mr.. Schmidt
said, however, that a detailed
plan will soon be offered to the
county commissioners.
Predictions Difficult.
Maryland'S Senators and Repre-
sentatives will be urged to work
for liberalization of the present
law giving Federal assistance to
subdivisions affected by influxes Of
I. Government workers.
Assistant School Superintendent
Thomas S. Gwynn, jr., who is also
planning director, said people are
pouring into the big country. but
no one can tell where they will
concentrate.
Mr.. Gwynn and his associates
reported that "the situation be-
comes so fluid that estimating
beyond a few years takes on the
fancy of recklessness."
:, AS an Illustration, of unprotected
mushrooming, Mr.. Gwynn cited
the Langley Park area. Three
years ago a field of grass" it
now resounds to the pattering feet
of 700 pupils for whom a 20-room
school has been built.
81 Schools Crowded.
An unofficial census foreshadow-.
ing what lies ahead shows that
there are 1000 children of pre-
school age in that community.
Mr. Gwynn revealed.
If approved standards are met,
each 3,000-pupil increase will re-
quire 10 additional classrooms and
AUXILIARY facilities. The county
now has 952 classrooms for gen.
eral instruction and 167 where
special subjects are taught.
A crisis impends in accommoda-
tions for pupils in grades Z through
IL, the report asserted. The
planned capacity of secondary
school buildings in 1854 is 1925.
Present enrolment is 1926.