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


new school construction.
The Board has asked for S.
965,920 of new funds from the
County, of which the County Man.
ager has recommended only So
846,260 or 48ft.
The Boards request is intended
to build six new elementary
schools totaling lie rooms plus 8
all.purpose rooms to house 1920
new pupils expected il the Fall of
1857.
Even if all new elementary
schools requested By the School
Board are built, the total class
room space which would be avail
able in 1856 would still leave about
$50 children on double schedules
or in all-purpoSe rooms instead of
in class rooms.
If all secondary schools request
ed by the Board are built, plus
two large additions planned for
next years budget, they would
barely house enrollments antici.
pated in the Fall of 1857, even
counting 2,400 children as housed
in gymnasiums and cafeterias.
The Boards budget was for
funds to construct specific new
schools or additions needed to
house enrollments anticipated in
specific areas of the County.
The Managers budget gives no
explanation for his cut 1t cites
no project as not needed.
If the cut recommended by the
County Manager is allowed to
stand and if it were applied to ele-
mentary schools, it would then be
possible for the School Board to
build only single 8-room addition
for 240 pupils out of all the ele-
mentary school space needed as
mentioned above! If it were APP
oiled entirely to secondary schools
It would be possible to build only
one addition of about ID rooms
housing some $50 pupils out of all
the secondary school space which
will be needed, as mentioned
above!
If the cut should be divided
among elementary and secondary
schools, it would allow the con-
struction of little over one-half of
the capacity needed. Nearly 5000
children would be on double SEIZED
ules or classroomS would be gross
ly overcrowded. Should integra-
ton be commenced during this
period, it would be under condi-
tons of excessive overcrowding.
The difference in cost between
the totally inadequate recommen-
dations of the County Manager
and the minimum program re-
quested by the Board after care.
! full study, is less than 2 cents on
I the tax rate. 1t is considerably
less than $500 per year on the
typical tax bill for homeowners
in Montgomery County.
Parents in Montgomery County
are startled and outraged that the
County Managers budget does not
care two cents for the children of
Montgomery County!
The County Manager recon-
mends a cut of $1,076,000 in the
budget request of the Board of
Education for current operating
funds. Eighty-siX percent of this
cut is in funds for salaries of
school personnel.
The County Manager actually
recommends the provision of only
S164000 of county funds over this
years budget to help provide
teachers, books and other facili.
ties for the 5000 or more add.
tional children who will be in our
schools next fall!
The Board had proposed funds
for $3.50 average salary increase
for teachers in the County to
bring their pay in line with that
of other school systems in the
Metropolitan area. The County
Managers recommendations will
make this impossible despite the
fact that he recommends in the
same budget a $40 average sal
airy increase for police and some
other County employees.
If the County Managers recon-.
mendation is allowed to stand, it
will compel severe lowering of
standards in Montgomery County
Schools or a reduction in the sal.
airy scale of Montgomery County
teachers at time when Arlington,
Fairfax and Prince Georges
Counties have adopted salary in.
creases and an increase in the Dis,
trict of Columbia is pending.
The salary scale which the
Montgomery County Board of Ed
ucation will be able TO offer teach.
ers will be lower than in any other
school system in the vicinity. II
will make it difficult or impossible
to retain and recruit good
teachers.
At time when the school sys
tenn of necessity has many new