Evening star., 1953-02-26
Lack Of Funds
Forces Freeze
On School Jobs
z Teachers Dropped
28 Vucunces Must
Be Left Untitled
By james G. Deone

xWO O1SITICC SCHOOL UGdEQeTS
have been let go and % vacant
teacher and administrative posts
have been frozen" for the rest
Of the school year because school
funds have run short, it was
learned today.
The two let go were temporary
junior high teachers. All 80
posts will be left empty so the
money can be used to pay man
datory salary raises to other
teachers.
Reason for the drastic step,
officials explained. is that Con-
gress required the schools this
year to pay regular in-grade pay
boosts out of savings" in the
school budget. The savings must
come from unused teacher
salaries.
The school system ran out of
such funds. The dismissals and
freeze will "save" about $50 900
just about the needed amount.
according to Charles N. Zellers.
business officer.
Instruction Curtailed.
Because of the freeze, substi-
tute teachers are having to be
assigned to some classrooms, and
some instruction-in music and
physical education-will be cur
tailed. Reassignment of the
substitutes will aggravate a sub
stitute shortage and slash a
teacher-training program.
The white schools are chiefly
affected. They have had a teach
er surplus, while colored schools
have had a serious shortage.
Only two Negro posts are in.
VolVed-one vacant principals
ship, the other the presidency
OF Miner Teachers College. DR..
Eugene A. Clark. Miner presi-
dent, is retiring March 81, and
no successor will be named before
next summer.
Inc dismissed teachers, both
temporary,twer in white Junior
highs. Associate Supt. Lawson J
Cantrell said they will be given
preference for reinstatement
next fall.
Two Others Dropped.
Two other temporary white
junior high, teachers were let
go last fall in a move to pro-
vide more salaries for colored
teachers.
The % vacant posts now
frozen were created by retire.
ments, deaths and designations.
The freeze threatened to cause
a teacher-shuffle and merger of
some classes in white grade
schools. but officials averted this
yesterday by deciding on the
use of substitutes.
The school system has two
kinds of Substitutes-a "per
diem" class, assigned on a day.
to-day basis and paid only when
they work, and an annual"
class, employed full time. Most
OF the annual substitutes are
taking regular teaching posts
under the emergency move.
In the white grade schools.
five of the six annual substitutes
are being assigned to regular
classes. This will mean slash
ing a program of in-service
teacher training, because the
annual substitutes usually fill
in for teachers assigned to visit
other classes as observers.
Vacancies Untitled.
A grade school music vacancy
and physical education vacancy
will be left untitled. There are
normally six teachers in each
field, who travel from school to
school. The freeze means visits
will be less frequent.
One white principalship-
caused by the death of Miss
Anna Crook of Bryan School
also is being left vacant. Bryan
now is being supervised by the
principal of another school.
Both of the white junior highs
two annual substitutes are being
assigned to full-time classes.
Midyear graduations reduced the
pupil load in Junior and senior
highs, however, SO except for the
two diSmissals the freeze will
cause relatively little incon-
venience there.
In the colored schools annual
substitutes have been holding
emergency teacher jobs for some
time. The colored schools also
have long been short Of physi-
cal education, music and art
teachers.
No Money for Substitutes.
Besides the reduction in avail
able annual substitutes, the
school system is facing a crisis
on per diem substitutes. Funds
for hiring them will, run out
next month, and an $4,000
emergency appropriation now 10
being sought from Congress.
If the $4,000 isn't obtained,
the schools will have to resort
to merging classes and other
emergency measures when
teachers are sick.
Use of substitutes already has
been curtailed. They can't be
hired at all for librarians, travel
ing special teachers, counselors,
attendance officers, visual in
struction personnel. research as
siStants, child labor inspectors
or instrumental music teachers.
School officials, besides seek
ing this emergency money. also
hope to persuade Congress to
drop the unusual savings" rule
on salary increases. They are
| planning a strong effort for a
more flexible budget in order to
head OF future teacher and sup
ply shortages.