Evening star., 1954-05-01
More Raises
For Arlington
Teachers Urged
Revised Budget
Brings Requests
For Other Boosts

VI ~IuSb OVVStS
The Arlington School Board
has revised its proposed budget
and now recommends nay in
creases for teachers with up to
five years experience, whose pay
scale would have been un-
changed by the initial budget
proposals.
A message from Supt. Edward
Rutter suggesting the changes
was before the County Board
today.
Mr.. Rutter said the School
Board now recommends that
teachers with up to three years
experience be given a $3.50 raise,
in addition to regular incre-
ments and that teachers with
four or five years experience be
given 500 increase. Pay raises
for teachers with longer service
were recommended in the orig
inal budget proposal. The pres
ent starting pay for teachers
with a bachelors degree is $3,-
800.
The amended budget will re-
ouire no additional county tax
increase than was requested in
the first budget. of 81 cents per
$10e of property evaluation, the
superintendent said.
Additional State Revenue.
Mr.. Rutter said the money will
come from additional State rev.
enue in the amount of $31, 500,
and an additional $4,000 is
available in fund set up to per-
NIT non-profesSional employees
of the School Board to partici-
pate in the county retirement
plan. The sum of $4,000 was
set up in the original budget but
1t has been found that $4,000
will be adequate, Mr.. Rutter said.
The amended budget increases
the school total from $8,119,017
to $8.150.617. The County Board
must approve the county and
school budgets and set tax rates
by May Is.
Mr.. Rutter said the School
Board decided on the new teach
er pay recommendation after
considering reaction of citizens
to the original budget at hear
ingS.
A public hearing by the County
Board on the proposed in
crease of 27 cents in the
tax rate lasted only ii minutes,
drew only II citizens and prn-
Guced only two speakers last
night.
The two speakers represented
opposing points cf view.
Carroll Wright of the Tax
Study Committee of the Cham
ber Of Commerce argued that
the tax rate should remain un-
changed. while Shelby Roberts
of the Citizens Committee for
School improvement indorsed
the 27-cent raise. which would
be used for schools. partly to
inauguate a kindergarten pro-
gram.
Exceeds Current Budget.
Mrs. Leone Buchholz, chair
man of the County Board, said
the proposed $20.2 million budget,
which is about $3.7 million
over the current fiscal years out
lay, is based on an anticipated
asseSSable base of $299,807 900.
This would be some S11.8 mil
lion over the present fiscal Pc
riod.
The present tax rates in Ar
lington are $291 per $1O0 of as
seSsed valuation on real estate
and $3.50 on personal property.
Schools now take $1.73 out of
the real estate tax and So out
of the personal property levy.
The proposed 27-cent rise for
schools would bring the total
rates to 1923 for real estate and
$3.77 for personal property.
The new rates must be set by
the board before May 16.
Cites Possible Increase.
Mr.. Wright said, "it is the
committees belief that the pres
ent tax rate applied to the in
creased tax base for 1954-5, to-
gether with other increased in
comes from the State and Fed
eral Governments, will give ap-
proximately 1851 ,998.73, which
will provide for most requests
of the School Board which, in
the minds of the committee,
are greatly needed.
However, we point out further
that. if the County Board feels
that such a tax rate plus other
increased incomes will not ap-
proximate the figure of $7,651.-
998.78, then the committee rec
ommendS that the rate for 1854
SIS be increased to the extent of
the need"
On the other hand, Mr.. Rob-
erts defended the proposed 27-
cent increase by saying his group
feels the schools have presented
a quite tight budget"
Some items, such as teach
ers' salaries, should have been
considerably higher" he added.
He said the minimum State
standards for a school the size of
the Williamsburg Junior High
School. now under construction
is a library of at least 5000
books. Yet. the budget provides
only $4,000 for this library, he
said.