Evening star., 1953-06-01
Bill May Cause
AddedShortage
OF Teachers
School Official Says
Measure Could Bur
FILLING Of 46 Jobs
By Jones 6. Deone

The Districts teacher shortage
under the pending appropria-
tions bill may be even greater
next fall than already predicted,
Charles N. \Zellers, public school
business officer, said today.
Mr.. Zellers said the bill now
looks as If it will short change
the school system more than the
5000, 900 he estimated last week.
A 100000 drop would mean a
loss of about as teachers, and
the teacher loss now calculated
would be even higher.
Mr.. ZellerS revealed on Friday
that the bill, reported that day
and due for House debate to-
morrow, might force the schools
to leave the IS jobs vacant next
fall. The job freeze, which the
bill also would impose on other
District agencies, would be nee
esSary in order to save money
to use for mandatory pay in
creaSes, for which the bill makes
no provision.
Save $4,000 on Turnover.
The school system during the
current year saved about $780,
900 by normal personnel turn
over - salary money freed by
designations, deaths and retire.
mentS, when a person at lower
salary was hired as the replace
ment. This went for the manda-
tory pay raises. But another
$4,000 needed for the raises
had to be obtained by a freeze
on rs job vacancies, and two
teachers last February actually
were let go to meet the savings
requirement.
This freeze caused consider
able hardship during the current
semester, Mr.. Zellers said. But
next falls difficulties, under the
bill, will be at least twice as
severe.
At the same time, as It denied
the pay raise funds, the House
Appropriations Committee spe-
cifically approved money for IS
new colored teachers next fall.
But actually, not even half of
this number of extra positions
can be afforded as the bill is
now written, Mr.. Zellers declared.
Pupils to Suffer.
Unless more funds are pro-
vided, he indicated, either the
colored schools will do without
many Of the badly needed teach
ers. or the white teacher force
will be cut severely. In either
case. pupils will suffer.
The white schools are likely
to suffer most, because the
school system is under a man
date in the bill to equalize the
ratio Of teachers in the teacher
short colored division.
Mr.. Zellers said his staff is
now preparing closer estimates
on the effect of the fund de-
nial. An effort will be made to
get the Senate to come to the
rescue, If the House goes along
with the committee recommen-
dation, he said.
Budget Officials to Help
District budget officials also
are going to bat on the problem.
Budget Officer Walter L. Fowler
said Friday that he would get
reports on the effect in each de-
partment this week, and an aide
was planning to raise the subject
in a conference with the Com
missioners today.
Last year. Congress appropri-
ated part of the funds for the
mandatory raises, although not
all.
The city asked this year for
a total of $1.2 million for the
purpose and the bill allots moth
ing. About the same amount was
spent in the current fiscal year
and 290 jobs were left untitled
in order to do it.
The school system asked for
q $113, 400 share for teacher and
administrative raises. Even that
wouldn't be enough, Mr.. Zellers
pointed out, but it was all school
officials were allowed to request.