Evening star., 1954-01-09
Teacher Raise
Given Congress
To Sidetrdck
D. c. Request for
No Action Now
Expected to Prevail
By Don S. Warren

For lack Of revenues to
finance them, proposals for
higher pay for District school
teachers and officers apparently
will be sidetracked on Capitol
Hill.
The Commissioners yesterday
sent to the House and Senate
District Committees a lengthy
document outlining substantial
pay boosts for school employees,
as agreed to earlier in confer
ences with school authorities.
The city heads said the raises
were desirable. but stressed they
should be adopted only when and
Iif the funds were available.
They made clear this should not
be done now.
Case Readily Agrees.
Chairman Case of the Senate
District Committee, in quick
agreement with their stand, in
dicated he did not plan at this
time either, to introduce a bill
for the pay raises or to schedule
hearings on them. Similar indi-
cations came from some sources
in the House District Committee.
School employees won a pay
boost that began last July l in
a measure that directed the Com
missioners and school author
tiles to propose a permanent
school pay reclassification plan.
The cost Of the suggested new
pay scales was estimated at
81 ,649,121 above present levels
for the first year. This figure is
somewhat above earlier reports
because there was added in
creased retirement costs.
Disagree on Corning.
The commissioners we're in
agreement with the Board of
Education on all but one recon-
mendation-that of the salary
Of School Supt. Hobart NJ. Corn
ing. The city heads wanted the
maximum for the superintendent
held down to $15.000-a 81, 900
boost: but the School Board rec
commended it be raised to a scale
from SIT 500 to $4,000.
Such an increase. the city
heads argued. would put the pay
of the school head out of line
with that of other city executives
as well as comparable posts in
the Federal Government.
For teachers with B. A. college
degrees. the city heads and
school board members approved
a new scale of $500 to $500.
with the maximum to be reached
in IL years instead of the pres
ent 15-year step-up plan.
For those with masters de-
grees the new scale would be
S4,1UU 10 SO,UUU.
Warning by Spencer.
Urging no action now. Presi-
dent Samuel Spencer of the
Board of Commissioners warned
the District Committees the city
now was confronted with two
extremely serious considera-
tons:
/. The precarious fiscal condi-
tionS of the District.
2. The need to maintain
equitable salary relationships
among all District employees.
On the second point Mr..
Spencer specified that almost
10000 classified employees of the
District have received no pay
raises since July, 1851, although
teachers. police and f1remen had
boosts last year and one was
in the making for per diem
workers.
NOn-adOptiOn Urged.
Therefore. Commissioner
Spencer concluded, 'even though
the desirability Of the pay and
classification changes contained
in the attached report is fully
recognized, the commissioners
find it necessary to recommend
that the changes not be adopted
at this time"
Senator Case commented that
the Commissioners had been re-
quired to submit their report on
the proposed school pay revision,
adding. "but they recognized
their fiscal obligations by rec
ommending no action on the
proposals at this time"
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