Evening star., 1953-01-28
Fairfax Board
Backs School
Bond Issue
$ll Million Propose
Will Be Voted on
Next Tuesday

Fairfax County'S proposed new
$11 million school construction
bond issue today had the sup
port Of all six members on the
Board of Supervisors.
With varying degrees of en-
thusiasm. the supervisors yester-
day gave their first official word
Of Endorsement for the bond
issue which comes to a vote next
Tuesday.
The supervisors asked the
School Board to work up figures
for a new bond issue months
ago, but most of them had re-
manned silent since the amount
was announced.
G. Wallace Carper, chairman
of the Board of Supervisors, said
a bond issue is the only way to
finance the many new school
buildings needed in the county.
To raise the money by direct
levy would bankrupt the tax
payers, he declared.
/ Jett Backs Amount.
Supervisor c. B. Jett said he
thinks the amount of the bond
issue is justified. Mr.. 'Jett
thought some other means
should be found to raise money
besides the real estate tax, but
he said no other means is avail
able at the present time.
Supervisor Maurice Fox said
he was supporting the bond issue,
although he would have pre-
ferred to see it divided into two
smaller bond issues. Supervisor
Anne Wilkins said she believes
the amount actually is too small.
pointing out that the school
board originally calculated it
would need SIS million to meet
school needs through the fall
Of 1855.
Supervisors Stuart DeBell and
Arthur Shaffer gave the bond
issue their full support.
Two Meetings Held.
Friends and foes of the bond
issue. meanwhile, turned out in
about equal numbers at two
separate meetings last night.
About 20 persons-mostly bond
issue supporters - attended a
bond issue rally at the Fairfax
High School. It was sponsored
BY the Fairfax High PTA and
the School Bond Issue Cooper
ating Committee. All six mem
bers Of the school, board were,
present. /
Fred w. Robinson, school
board chairman, said he wanted
it understood that there was no
disagreement among school
board members over the amount
OF the proposed bond issue. He
said there had been differences
of opinion before the amount
was set, but the $11 million fig
TIRE finally was agreed on unani-
mouSly.
Mr.. Robinson said he had been
asked about "frills" in some of
the county's new schools. He said
he knew of none, adding that
the walls of all new buildings
have gone upholstered, to save
money.
Costs Compared.
Mrs. Harold Gresham, who
lives near Falls Church. said her
taxes had been increased 300 per
cent by the recent reassessnent,
but she believed the new bond
issue was needed. She said she
compared the classroom costs of
three new schools in Fairfax, Ar
lington and Montgomery Coun-
ties and found Fairfax was do
ing the cheapest job.
Foes of the bond issue collected
at a meeting Of the Taxpayers
Advisory Association in Fairfax
Court House. The organization
went on record, Al to Is, against
the bond issue.
Attorney Charles Pickett said
the bond issue was premature.
School segregation suits pending
before the Supreme Court might
result in an end of segregation
and disintegrate the public
school system in Virginia, said
Mr.. Pickett.
Suggests Sales Tax.
Besides, the solvency Of the
landowners is more important
than the education of children"
declared Mr.. Pickett. "The land
owners of Fairfax County are
under no obligation to provide
free education for people moving
out from the District"
He suggested the School Board
should push for a State sales
tax to finance schools, instead
of asking for more bond issues.
The meeting was conducted by
Walter B. Jameson, president.