Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-12
Board Supports
Loan
ToAdd Schools
Pay as You Go
Fails in Crisis,
Corning Argues
BY JAMES G. DEANE

cialS to seek long-term school
construction loan have the back
ing of Board of Education mem
berS.
School Supt. Hobart M. Corn
ing won approval for the plan
from the boards finance COM
.mittee yesterday. Other board
members present also Endorsed
the idea.
DR.. Corning said present pay
|as-you-go financing cannot meet
the city's needs for new class
rooms.
The school chief said the city
has a tremendous backlog of
needed construction. He ascribed
this partly to enrolment growth
and population shifting and
partly to restrictions on con-
struction during the Korean hos
tilities and World War II.
Caught by Rising Costs
He also noted that the
construction budget has been
overtaken by rising costs.
DR. Corning said it is mot
fair to expect the present tax
payers to bear the entire burden
for needs which have accumu-
lated over the years, particu-
larly when we consider that the
useful life Of a school building
exceeds so years"
| Future generations should
bear part of the cost, he said,
adding a borrowing program
would accomplish this.
DR.. Corning told board men,
Ibers he has instructed the as
Isistant superintendent in charge
of the various school levels to
study and report on all expected
construction needs up to Sep
TENDER, 1862. He said a cost
estimate on these projects will
be completed soon.
A number of school-building
projects are included in the
city's long-range public works
program, but DR.. Corning said
experience has shown" that
additional financing is necessary.
/ He noted that he advocated
a borrowing plan as early as
1947 but that this and later eff
forts had not been fruitful.
/ The school superintendent said
he was willing to have either a
Federal Government loan or a
public bond issue considered
Deputy Supt. Charles N. Zellers,
who directs school business af-
fairs, has advocated a Govern
ment loan, however.
| The borrowing proposal already
has been supported before the
District Commissioners by John
B. Gillilland, president of the
District Congress of Parents and
Teachers, and other PTA leaders.
The idea was given prominence
at recent budget hearings.
Worse Each Year
1.-THE backlog of school building
construction needs reached emer-
gency proportions several years
ago and continues to get worse
with each passing year." DR..
Corning told the school board.
He added that part-time
Iclasses, re-established this fall in
considerable numbers, will in
Grease and many schools remain
without adequate facilities un-
less action is taken.
On other matters yesterday,
board members tentatively APP
proved a proposal by Dr.. Corning
for increasing the school systems
supervisory staff, and another
for enabling teachers with spe-
cial qualifications to qualify fol-
extra pay.
The superintendent asked per-
mission to divert any extra funds
that may be made available By
retirements and designations tC
hiring additional supervisors fol
the elementary schools.
The added supervisors are
needed because of the schoo
systems large number of new
and temporary teachers. he said
The lack of an adequate super
visory force was cited in recen'
congressional hearings by Mrs
Bessie w. Cramer, elementary
instruction director.
Next years proposed budget
includes funds for three more
such supervisors. The Commits
sioners deleted three others.
/ On the salary matter, DR.
Corning suggested that a set Of
rules be drawn up under which
some teachers could qualify fol
premium pay now allowed fol
those with masters degrees plus
80 additional hours Of college
credits. The teachers would bt
able to qualify through equiva.
lent experience. rather than thu