Evening star., 1953-10-14
.0Ver|oads Start
New Fight for
School Buses
Bourd to Request
Funds From Council
For II Vehicles

Another money battle was
building up in Montgomery
County between the County
Council and the School Board to-
day, as school officials made plans
to appeal for more funds to meet
a school transportation emer-
gency.
The School Board, meeting In
Rockville all day yesterday, voted
to seek supplemental appropri-
alton from the council to buy IL
new school buses.
The board acted after being
told by Frank st. Clair, it's di-
rector of supporting services,
that the county's 121 school buses
are carrying more pupils than
the law allows.
He said buses going to school
in the morning are illegally over-
loaded by 1,241 pupils and re.
turning vehicles are overloaded
by 764 pupils. Most county buses
have go seats and are allowed to
carry 10 more children standing
in the aisles. 3
Mr.. st. Clair estimated the
cost of the IL new buses at
$4,000 each. Another 500 ,94O
would be needed to operate them
for the rest of the year, so the
board requires a total of $78,14O
to put the new carriers in service.
Bus Bids to Be Asked.
The board instructed School
Supt. Forbes H. Norris to 90
ahead and ask for bids on the
buses. Meanwhile. the board, as
Chairman H. Stanley Stine put
lit, will 'steal what it can from
the school budget and ask the
council for the rest" H
Board Member Willard Nc
Graw objected that such a pro-
cedure is ''like flying blind"
II know that" Mr.. Stine re-
piled. "but we've got to have
these buses if we have to pay
for them by public subscription
The school bus shortage is q
particular sore spot with the
school board. Money for new
| school buses was part of the now
famous SAL million cut made
in the current school budget by
the county council last June.
The board had asked for II
new buses. The council provided
enough money only to replace
five taken out of service because
they were considered unsafe. h
Appeal to Parents.
Since school officials figure II
will take about so days to get
the new buses into service, the
board appealed to parents to
help temporarily by allowing
their children, wherever possible.
to go to school on foot, in pri-
vate cars or in public carriers.
Meanwhile, DR.. Norris was in
structed to study the possibility
OF staggering school opening and
closing times more to allow
greater use of present buses. He
also was directed to investigate
the cost of renting some buses
until the new vehicles can be
purchased.
On another matter, the board
approved an administrative re-
organization proposed by DIR.
Norris, which involves hiring two
new directors-one for research
and one for construction.
Bulls Objects.
Board Member William Bulls
voted against the plan because.
he said, it puts the dean Of
Montgomery Junior College on
the same level as the assistant
superintendent.
THAT means he'll be coming
in here soon asking for a higher
salary" Mr.. Bulls declared. He
explained that he feels the jun
ior college dean ought to be re-
garded the same as the principal
of any other school in the county
system.
The board also accepted final
plans for the proposed $1.2 mil
lion North Bethesda Junior High
School, which is to be built soon
at Ewing and Bradmoor drives,
behind the National Institutes of
Health. It will be two-story
square structure, built around
an open court.