Evening star., 1953-01-07
Fairfax 10 Vote
On $11 Million
School Bonds
Bourd Fixes Sum /
To Be Decided
Within IS Duys

An $11 million school con-
Struction bond issue will be voted
on in Fairfax County within the
next IS days. ~
Amount Of the new bond issue
was fixed by the School Board
yesterday during an all-day ses-
sion which at one time saw mem-
berS deadlocked. Three mem.
bers wanted $12 million bond
issue right away and the other
three board members wanted to
divide the full amount into sep.
arate. smalle" bond issues.
A compromise was reached
after a brief executive session.
The bond issue figure was fixed
at $11 million. but in a separate
resolution the School Board
agreed not to sell more than 81
million in any one year. ..
Petition Sought Action.
The School Board four months
ago received petitions signed by
5000 residents requesting a new
school construction bond issue.
The petitioners left it for the
School Board to fix the amount.
School officials said the figure
would be inserted in the petit
tions and filed with the Circuit
Court today. The court is re-
quired to set date for the bond
issue referendum within IS days.
but not sooner than Is days,
school officials said. ~
The $11 million bond issue il
calculated to fulfill the coun-
tvs school construction needs
through September, 1855. Orig
inally 419 new classrooms were
planned by the School Board.
Architects advised this would
cost SIS million, and the School
Board yesterday announced it
had pared the building program
down to 297 claSSrooms.
The reduced program includes
231 elementary classrooms and
66 high school classrooms. School
officials said approximately $11.5
million would be needed for the
program as it now stands, but
they would see what further re-
ductions could be made to stay
within the $l1 million figure.
Expect 10000 Increase.
Fairfax County's school en-
rollment is expected to increase
from the present $1,000 to ap.
proximately $1,000 by September.
1855. Robert w. Walker, direc-
tor of surveys and information
for the school board. said $500
Of the new students already are
living in the county and will be
reaching school age by 1855.
About 1000 students now are
IN substandard classrooms which
the school board hopes to elimi-
nate with the new building pro-
gram. The county's school en-
rollment already exceeds the
amount that could be accommo-
dated ideally with the current
building program which is not
yet complete. The current pro-
gram was financed with a $40
million bond issue. plus Federal
and State grants.
School board members who
wanted the new bond issue brok.
en- down into smaller bond is.
sues were Chairman Fred w.
Robinson, Hills Lory and Rich
ard Stands. ..
Board Voting.
Robert F.. Davis, School Board
member from Falls Church dis
trict, moved that the bond issue
be set at $12 million. He was
supported by Mrs. H. c. Crowther
and Randolph Buckley of Centre
vile district. Mr.. Robinson, Mr..
Stands and Mr.. Lory voted
against the motion.
The board adopted a resolu-
ton offered by Mr.. Stands STAT
ing that it was not divided as to
school construction needs, but
only differed on the procedure.
The board then held a brief
executive session to resolve the
deadlock.