Evening star., 1955-03-14
Teachers Ask
Additional State
School Funds
Maryland Listed
Close to Bottom in
Education Outlay
BY the Assoeiotsd Press

Eoucotion Outlay
BY the Assoeiotsd Press
BALTIMORE, Mar. 14.-The
Maryland State Teachers Asso-
citation today got out a new book
let plugging for more State
money for public schools.
"Marylanders spent only 1893
per cent of their total income
for current expenses Of public
schools" it said. only four
States spend a smaller propor-
ton of income for schools"
ITO make our schools good
schools. more State aid is
needed"
The booklet is a restatement,
with some new arguments and
some notifications. of the five-
year school program adopted last
spring by the Teachers Associa-
ton and the Maryland Congress
of Parents and Teachers.
Distribution Is Wide
About 5000 copies were mailed
today to the Sis local PTA units
throughout the State, all Mary
land legislators, all members of
local school boards. county SUI
perintendents, school principals,
MSTA faculty representatives in
the schools, and presidents of
local teachers associations.
The Teachers Association par
ticularly and the PTA to
lesser extent was criticized by
legislators at Annapolis last week
for political activities in election
campaigns and pressure for
higher school appropriations dur
ing General Assembly sessions.
State School Supt. Thomas G.
Pullen was asked about this at
legislative hearing on the State
school budget for 1856. He
said he was against school people
being active in political cam
paigns but contended no group
should be denied the right to
petition the Legislature.
$56 Million Proposed
The 1886 State budget now
before the General Assembly
would provide almost $50 mil
lion in general funds for the
schools. This is more than half
the largest single item in the
expenditure of general funds
collected by the State and an
increase of about $11 million
over the current fiscal year. It
is about a fourth of all the funds,
from both general and special
taxes and Federal allowances, in
Gov. McKeldin's budget.
Even so, said the new booklet
from the Teachers Association,
the proportion of State aid for
schools has decreased.
"The State has many sources !
Of revenue. It can increase its
revenues more easily than the
counties can without unduly bur-
dening any particular group or
tax source"
The counties, it pointed out,
have only one main source of
revenue-a tax on real estate.
Classroom Needs Cited
The Teachers Association
pointed out increased enroll
ments and birth rates indicate
Maryland will need 1000 new
classrooms a year by 1860. These
5000 classrooms will cost about
5000 million.
"The State has contributed
relatively little towards school
construction" the booklet said.
almost IS per cent of the money
has come from local govern
ments. 81 from Federal funds
and only 8,8 per cent from the
State"
The MSTA's attack said the
State could do its part through
graduated increases in the in
centiye fund" rather than by
issuing bonds.
It insisted 5000 million
school building program in the
next six years is necessary and
said the State should take on
half the burden.
Other Features Stressed
Other parts of the program
suggested by the MSTA and the
PTA call for expansion for the
State teachers colleges, higher
salaries for teachers, better pen
sion 1enef1ts for them, better Ii
brary service for the whole State
and training in safe driving for
all pupils.
To attract and hold qualified
teachers, the MSTA renewed its
plea for higher teacher salaries,
question which is to come up
IN the Legislature at Annapolis
this week.
A three-stage program for
higher teacher salaries, enacted
by the General Assembly in 1853,
will set minimum salaries at
$4,000 to $4,000 a year for the
next school year. Twenty -one of
the "a local school systems in
the State already have a higher
salary scale.
The MSTA and PTA have sug-
gested the minimum scale be in
creased to $4,200-$5, 900 immedi-
ately.
Arlington School Group