Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-18
School Bonds
Ballot Urged
I'm Arlington
Citizens Committee
Also Recommends
15-Cent Tex Boost

| 15-Cent Tex Boost
An Arlington County Citizens
School Advisory Committee has
recommended that the School
Board call referendum on a
I$4.5 million bond issue for i'm
mediate school construction
needs.
It also recommended a 15-cent
increase in the tax rate, to go or
Ia "pay-as-you-go" policy Of
school construction.
The recommendations were
made unanimously at an I'M
Iprecedented closed meeting or
Monday night among members
Iof the committee. the Schoo
Board and the County Board
The recommendations were re.
leased late yesterday by Kingsley
Higgins. chairman of the citizens
advisory group.
Harmony Results
Mr.. Higgins said the meeting
was dramatic" in that il
brought together the various
opposing groups in the county in
complete harmony. He said his
group included members of the
various liberal and conservative
factions in the county and that
they were in perfect agreement
on school needs.
Asserting that Arlington has
become adult" he said the group
recommended to the School
Board that it consult members
Iof the County Board to determine
if other items of county money
might be included in the one
bond issue.
The School Board had pro.
posed $9.4 million bond issue
for school construction which
was voted down in a referendum
Hast February.
This proposed bond issue was
tcriticized as being out of line
with county needs.
/ Mr.. Higgins said the advisory
Igroup has held three meetings
Including the Monday night
session.
He said the School Board hao
been requested to provide studio;
Iof school construction needs tt
assist the group in reaching rec.
Concentrations.
/ Needs Analysed
He said the board had pre-
pared a 22-page analysis of con-
struction needs, showing ir
detail the schools and the plans
for construction.
He said the School Board esti.
mated it needs $4,152,150 this
spring to prevent double shifts
in elementary schools. 1t listed
needs of $1,525, 100 for the spring
of 1856 or 1857. and an addi-
tional $4,087,750 for the spring
Iof 1857.
The board pointed out that il
was too late now to begin some
of the projects that should bt
started now and therefore
shifted them over to 1857. These
projects were included in thu
$1,525,l00 amount.
Mr.. Higgins said the commit.
tee felt a $4.5 million bond issue
would answer the immediate
needs if the School Board coulo
shave certain costs.
He said the board could re-
turn then in 1857 for any addi-
tional funds that it might require
Meanwhile, he said, the 15-
cent increase on the tax rate
would provide about 100000 pei
year. He said if the immediate
construction needs were provided
then with the funds each veal
from taxes earmarked for con-
Istruction the county would be
on the road toward providing its
school needs out of current
Income.
Advisory Members
Among members of the advis-
Iory group are DR.. Robert H. Det-
wiler. a leader in the Arlington
independent Movement; Robert
Groom, a leader of the Airing
tonians for a Better County;
Thomas Sebrell Of the Clarendon
Trust Co., Robert A. Peck, pres
Iident of the County Chamber OF
Commerce and a former County
Board member; Mrs. Warren
COX, wife Of a former School
Board member, and Raymond
Belew, chairman Of the county
Republican Committee.
Also. Ernest Lyons, chairman
lof the Democratic Committee
DR.. E. j. Braun, assistant super
intendent of schools; Mrs. Emory
Hackman, member of the ABC
group; Peter Henle, whose wife
heads the League of Women
Voters of Virginia; William M
Lightsey, vice president of the
County Parent Teacher Associa-
ton Council.
Also, Mrs. Roger Marshall of
the League of Women Voters,
Colin c. Macpherson, County
Treasurer; Mrs. John Newdorp
active in school affairs: T. Ed
ward Rutter, superintendent Of
schools; Mrs. Victor A. Vaughan,
president Of the Arlington Chap
ter, Association of University
Women; Mrs. Vernon Weihe,
former head of the Association
of University Women; DR.. L. H.
Blevins, head of the education
committee Of the County Cham
Der of Commerce; B. Roy Dud-
ley. III. vice president Of the
Chamber Of Commerce; j.
N. G. Finley, director of the
University Of Virginia's Northern
Virginia Extension Branch: DR..
l.. Laszlo Ecker-Racz, who heads