Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-29
.Reese'sB Budget
For Schools
Draws Praise
Montgomery OutIoy
OF 1922 Million
luuded at Hearing

An uncommon atmosphere of
harmony prevailed last night
at the Montgomery County
Councils public hearing on the
proposed 1892 million school
budget.
With some exceptions, lead
ing parent-teacher civic or
ganizations praised the County
managers budget recommen-
dations for the next fiscal year.
County Manager M. L. Reese
had trimmed the School Boards
proposal for capital funds by
$50. 900 to a total Of $12.9 NIL
lion and its proposal for oper-
ating funds by $114,673 to a
total of 1858 million.
In past years public hearings
on the managers school budget
Recommendations have gone on
past midnight as spokesman for
civic groups attacked budget
cuts. The hearing at Broome
Junior High School in Rock
vile ended in just over three
hours.
It was the third and final
hearing this week on the over
all county budget proposal of
$500 million. II adopted in its
present form, the 1859 budget
would require a 7-cent increase
in the tax rate on real prop
erty. The council is scheduled
to act on the budget by April
IS. The present rate is $3.15
per 500 assessed valuation.
Two New Secondary Schools
The school budget, first as
sembled by School Supt. C. Tay-
Tor Whittier and then modified
by the School Board and the
county manager. calls for cap
ital funds to build two new Sec
ondary schools and six elemen-
tary schools. It also includes
appropriations for "a other
building projects to enlarge or
rehabilitate existing schools.
In addition. the budget would
provide teacher salary raises by
establishing $4,000-to-$6, 900.
12-step scale for bachelor de-
gree teachers and a $4,000 to-
Sc. 200. l2-step scale for teach
ers with masters degrees.
The budget would add APP
proximately 265 teachers to the
present total force of 1888
teachers. The additions antici-
pate an increase in enrollments
next fall of 5,438 children
raising the present total of g.
OILS In the county's schools
to 68.453.
Restoration Of Cuts Urged
Although most civic spokes-
men at the hearings supported
the overall budget, nearly all
urged the restoration of three
cuts recommended by Mr..
Reese:
/. $4,000 for an additional
$500 pay raise for teachers at
the top Of the scale who would
not otherwise receive salary in
creases.
2. $4,000 in the capital
budget for preliminary work on
a new administration building.
3. $22,673 for a study of the
curriculum. which Superintend-
lent Whittier said would deter
mine, among other things,
whether present courses of
study "stymie or stimulate in
tellectual curiosity"
Speakers and Their Views
Speakers and their views in
cluded:
Mrs. Samuel j. Kicker,
chairman of the education
committee of the County
League of Women Voters -
The curriculum study is "long
overdue. We request re-
storation of funds for this i'm
portant item"
DR.. Howard Hausman,
speaking for the Allied Civic
Group of Silver Spring - We
suggest a committee which
would make a thorough study
of the teacher salary problem
(and) restore the $4,000"
Arthur D. Simonds, jr., ex-'
ecutive secretary of the Mont
gomery County Education AS
ISOLATION - I'VE support the
$500 allowance at the top of the
teacher pay scale"
Too Much Detail
Paul c. Howard, president of
the County Council of PTAs-
1--WE do not believe that the
council should seek to impose
its will on the School Board
in too much detail as to how
an overall commitment should
be applied"
: Roland Rice. speaking for the
County Association for Retard-
ed Children-"It is almost a
unique experience to see such
evident good feeling as is man.
ifested here" Mr.. Rice added
that he favored restoration of
the $500 raise and the curricu-
lum study.
Seymour S. Berlin, chairman
of the Schools Committee of
the Montgomery County Civic
Federation-"It appears that
Montgomery County Schools
are being built at a relatively
reasonable cost. No evidence of
'frills' has been noted. We
favor the managers construc-
ton budget but urge approval