Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-06-02


anyone, or high" taxes at the
: present.
Let's make a quick review of
the major effects Of the County
Managers cuts. if sustained. The
capital budget cuts will place
5000 children on double session.
leave a thousand in all-purpose
rooms and 2,400 in gymnasiums
and cafeterias. In Rockville,
the effect will be even worse
next year especially at the junior
high level (there is no adequate
junior high school building in
Rockville at the present time).
The operating budget cuts would
require elimination of kinder
garten, eliminate 3.3 percent
salary increases for teachers, put
ting their salaries lowest in the
entire metropolitan area for the
first time in modern history,
would seriously cut into the Gus.
todial requirements and plant
maintenance such that our $40,-
100000 school plant becomes in
worse danger because of even
less adequate care than at pre-
sent.
What do we stand to lose?
Can we afford to short-change
our children? Should we give
them poor teachers? Should we
give them only half an educa-
ton with double sessions?
Should we make them commute
by bus for an hour a day like
daddy does? Whether we have
ten children or none, the young.
sterS of today will be our future
leaders, how do we want them to
lead?
Regardless of the fact that
some schools are slightly below
capacity (downcounty), others
are so far over capacity that no
amount of budget can solve our
problems by fall. First, we must
examine the needs of our educa-
tional system, then determine the
costs and then, and only then. do
we know what we have to pay -
in taxes. If your doctor Ca train
ed professionally says you need
so many pills of penicillin a day
to get well, you take the pills
first - and pay the necessary
price - however eXpensise. You
don't decide to have ten dollars
worth of sickness and then let
nature take her course. If the
pharmacist who sold you the
pills told you your doctor was
nuts - half as many pills would
do who would you believe?
Our school administration under
the Board of Education is the
trained professional and has de-
termined how many pills are
needed.
I can only speak about school
needs in Rockville A special
committee of parents, teachers
and others from all Rockville
schools has been studying Rock
villes needs for several months,
and as l interpret the results,
the Board of Education budget is
bare minimum, if that, to
satisfy Rockville's needs alone.
We can't help it if the city has
tripled its population in five
years, it has, and we had better
live with it. The needs must be
met now, next year, and every
year, if we are to have good, or
even adequate education.
I am willing to pay whatever
taxes are necessary to provide
good public education - good
teachers, maintenance of good
educational standards, and good
physical plants. AS far as l can
see, all of these factors are in
serious jeopardy today. We al
ready have some substandard
schools, overcrowding and under
paid teachers. We simply can't
afford to go another year on this
; basis. The Board of Education is
charged by law to manage our
educational system. believe
, their proposed budget will keep
our present system from going
doWnhill, just.
If l were sitting on the County
Council l would urge my fellow
councilmen to vote not only to
restore the boards budget in its
entirety, but I would further ask
them to admonish the board
gently for cutting the pie so thin
|; and letting our school system gel
so close to disaster In closing
I should comment that careful
calculations have shown that il
the County Council restores the
school budget the necessary in
crease in taxes will just equal a
comic book a week for each OF
my two Sabotage children.
The County Councilmen will
want an expression of feeling or
this subject from many people
! We should tell them. We can dc
so now and at the June 10 hear
ing in Rockville.
Michael M. Davis, Jr.