Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-18
New State Aid
Plan 10 Speed
School Funds
Delegates Propose!
Would End Log
Based on Enrolment
BY Alex R. Preston
Stor Stoff CORRESPONDENT

RICHMOND. Feb. 18.-Dele-
gate John c. Webb of Fairfax,
today came up with a new plan
for obtaining State aid to edu-
cation, based on the current
years enrolment in the locali-
ties, rather than on attendance
in the previous year.
It would be a boon to such
fast-growing communities as the
counties and cities next to
Washington where. despite en-
rollment figures that leap ahead
from year to year. State aid lags
one year behind.
For several weeks now, Mr..
Webb has been quietly feeling
his way along. both as to how
the plan could best be carried
out and how it would be received
by other members of the power
full House Appropriations Com
mittee, of which he is member.
He said ne now is ready to
offer an amendment to the STAB
million budget to carry out the
plan when the committee meets
this afternoon.
Il readily concede," he said.
that the present method Of
distribution is acceptable to
those areas of the State which
are not growing in population.
My point is that the present
method is not acceptable and is
not fair to those areas that are
growing"
Lag Costs S75O,0O0.
Fairfax Schools Supt. w. T.
Woodson has estimated that
county has lost about S750,00O
during the last 10 years because
of the years lag in applying the
formula of average daily attend
ance for State aid.
III Fairfax. the average jumped
from Is $40 pupils in the school
year l95l-52 to 1902 in 1928.
In other words, the county was
teaching 2.433 more students
the second year than it was re-
ceiving State aid for.
Similar averages for adjoining
jurisdictions show Arlington with
an increase of 1892 students;
Alexandra. 100 and Falls Church,
258.
How Formula Works.
This is how the formula works:
The State allows one teacher for
every 80 enrolled in elementary
grades. and one teacher for
every % in high school classes.
The State, under the pending
budget bill. would pay the local
ity SLABS for each teacher posi-
ton computed under the for
mula. using the pervious years
enrolment figures.
The Webb approach resem-
bles, in principle, other legisla-
ton now pending and intro
duced by another Fairfax Dele
gate, Omer Hirst, who wants the
States funds from LIQUOR pro-
Fl and road revenues to be dis
tributed more nearly on cur
rent population basis. Those
funds now are frozen to official
census figures and do not change
more often than 10 years.
Mr.. Webb was prepared to tell
the committee the State De-
partment of Education has esti-
mated that the SLABS proposed
for each teaching unit would
have to be cut about $50 if the
plan were placed into effect
without increasing the overall
appropriation.
Concerned Only With Method.
In a speech prepared for de-
livery this afternoon, Mi. Webb
said:
Il am not concerned with the
amount of money that is dis
trlbuted as State aid. but I am
concerned with the method Of
distribution. Therefore, at the
outset, I would like to make it
very clear that, if this commit
tee would see fit to adopt my
suggestions, no additional money
would have to be found nor
would any additional appropria-
ton have to be incurred"
He said that. under the pres
ent method. the funds received
by any given locality in any
school year have no direct re-
lationship to the amount Of
money that is actually required
to be spent by that locality dur
ing that school year"
Cites Census Gains.
Citing census figures showing
Virginia gained about "a per
cent between 1910 and 1850, Mr..
Webb added:
Nov all Of those people are
not coming to Fairfax County or
to Norfolk or to Roanoke. Ac-
cording to the Superintendent Of
Public Instruction. for 1898
there are increases in average
daily attendance in public schools
in 81 of the SO counties and in
20 of the 20 cities"
Mr.. Webb said State aid should
be distributed on current en-
rollment figures as a matter of
policy. He said he thinks this
could be done without any un-
due burden on the State or local
boards Of education. However.
the State superintendent has
raised objections to using en-
rollment figures in the first four
of school year.
Therefore, Mr.. Webb proposes
that funds continue to be dis
tributed on the previous years
average, but he recognizes a
makeup" factor, which would
tho locality for tho