Evening star., 1953-02-21
Budget Offered
To Arlington
School Board
Rutter Recommends
$7.3 Million Figure,
Cites Higher Costs
By Tom Burke

Oy ION burke
A budget request of nearly
$7.3 million for operation Of
public schools in the
fiscal year beginning July /.
was presented to the school
board today by Supt. T. Edward
Rutter.
The plan calls for spending
nearly SIS million more in the
next year than will be spent in
the current budget. A $500 pay
raise for all teachers who are
below the maximum pay level Is
proposed.
The pay raise plan would af-
feet about TOO, of the TIC teach
ers now employed and would
give Arlington the highest be-
ginning teacher salary scale in
the Metropolitan Area.
No action was taken by the
board which plans to hold q
public hearing on the proposal
at 8 pm. March 5 in the STRAIT.
ford Junior High School.
Await Assessment Figure.
Mr.. Rutter said his office could
give no information on what
increase, if any, would be re-
quired in the tax rate to meet
the record budget. He said the
real estate assessment base figure
will have to be established be-
fore the tax rate necessary to
finance the budget will be known.
Approximately 81 million of
the total. 81 1885, ,955 requested by
Mr.. Rutter will come from State
funds. A small payment, about
$500, 900, is anticipated from
Federal funds, and the remain
der, about Sc million, will have
to come from county taxes.
Mr.. Rutter said a 10 per cent
increase in pupil enrolment is
expected next September. He
listed this as the largest single
factor contributing to the bigger
budget. The enrolment will
jump to 81, $40 from the present
19,400 figure, he predicted.
Other Cost Factors.
Among other factors contrib.
uting to the increased costs, Mr..
Rutter said, are:
/. An increase of $377 900 in
the cost of amortizing construc-
ton bond issues and loans (from
$534,982 in the current year to
$911 ,949 in the coming year,.
2. The proposed teacher salary
increase which will cost $375. 900.
8. Normal yearly increases for
school employees under the pres
ent salary plan, which will cost
about $155, 900.
4. A raise in the school con-
tingency fund from $4,000 to
100000.
S. Adjustment of salaries Of
non teaching personnel to con-
form to salary payments made
to general county employees,
which will cost about $64, 900.
The salary scale for beginning
teachers with bachelors degrees
would be raised from $4,000 to
$500 and for those with mas
ter's degrees from $4,000 to
$4,000. Top pay for bachelor
degree holders would remain at
$4,000 and for master degrees
would stay at $1,000.
To End Halliday Sessions.
Mr.. Rutter said the end Of
halliday school sessions will be
achieved in the coming school
year with opening of five new
elementary schools and the
Wakefield Junior-Senior High
School in September. Nearly 80
new teachers will have to be en-
ployed to staff the buildings. an
other factor in the big budget re-.
quest, he said.
Cost of some of the specific
items listed in the budget are:
Salary payments to instructional
personnel. $4,476, 200. an increase
Of almost 81 million over the
current year; salary payments
for administrative personnel.
$143,850, an increase of $4,000.
Also, expenditures for main
tenance of school buildings and
equipment, $305, ,371; a single
capital outlay item of $125, 900
for new equipment; and, ex-
penditure of $576,784 for debt
retirement Amortization of bond
issues and loans) and $780,
for interest charges on bonds ana
loans.
The school budget must be
given to County Manager A. r.
Lundberg before March is for
inclusion in the overall county
budget to be presented to the
County Board at that time.