Evening star., 1959-12-08
$18 Million Souqht
For County Schools
Sum Requested
For Buildings
In Montgomery

81.
A record budget of $18,750.-
600 for school construction in
the coming year was submitted
today to the Montgomery
County Board of Education by
School Supt. c. Taylor Whit
tier.
DR.. Whittier described his re.
quest as about 81 million less
than had been expected for fls-
cas- 1959-60.
I'VE have tried to present q
conservative budget" DR.. Whit
tier said. Perhaps we've been
too conservative in making esti-
mates"
In a briefing session with
reporters, DR.. Whittier also
made an advance announce
ment of his request for an
operating budget of $50 million.
the details to be announced
Thursday.
The comparable amount re-
quested for the current year
was $29.8 million, he added.
Major prOiects
In the capital budget, it was
pointed out, $S.7 million of the
total request involved three
major projects:
l. The $3.3 million West Be-
theSda High School construc-
ton left over from the last
budget:
2. A junior high for West Be-
thesda at $2.3 million.
3. Wheaton -Kensington High
School at $2.8 million.
The three schools will accom-
modate 4,s00 papils, DR.. Whit
tier said.
"The board has been most
fortunate with its construction
program during this buyers
market" he declared. Most
Of these school bids are well
within the estimates. This has
enabled the board to transfer
approximately $350,000 to its
unallocated capital account. It
is expected that the major por-
ton of this sum will be re-
turned to Montgomery County
for re : appropriation. This
amount. together with the slight
reduction of what was antici-
pated a year ago, will make for
a healthy financial situation"
Enlargement in Prospect
Graphic demonstrations of the
county's rapidly exploding"
population were shown in re-
quests for addition to schools
that are not yet open.
Whittier Woods in Bethesda
and Holiday Park near Wheaton
are scheduled to be in use by
March, but both will need en-
larging.
The report shows that the
rezoning for apartments albng
Connecticut avenue has created
q need for a sizable addition
to Holiday Park by 1861. Like
wise, the anticipated rapid
growth of Kenwood Park near
Bethesda requires another six
clasSrooms to be added to Whit
tier Wood by 1861.
Population estimates played
a major part in determining
future school needs and the re-
ports revealed some eye-opening
figures. School enrolment this
year, 74,523; by 1865 it is ex-
pected to leap to an all-time
high Of 106,850.
DR.. Whittier put it this way:
For every 100 pupils in ele-
mentary schools today, we will
have 135 in 1865. For every
100 in junior high today, we
will have lat. For every 100
in senior high, we will have
l74. For the public's general
information, I feel that these
specifics will have the most
meaning"
Desegregation Advances
In cold finances, the popu-
lation's upward trend was
translated into a capital pro.
gram of an estimated $75 mil
lion for the f1ve-year period.
The impending fiscal years
S18.7 million was the largest
single request on the forecast.
subsequent years were esti.
mated at sums ranging from
$l5.5 million for the following
year to a mere $10.3 million in
1864.
Montgomery County's desee-
regation program. which has
progressed quietly during it's
entire five year history, is ex-
pected to be completed by Sep
tember, 1861, if present budget
proposals are accepted by the
county council. The planned
Cloverly Elementary School.
which would be located near
Briggs-Chaney road near Fair
land. is the last phase of the
dnSeOreoatinY y1rooraro