Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-19
Foley Assai|s
Plan 10 Trim
School Aid n
by ANDREW w. BINGHAM
star star writer ,

The ADMINISTRATORS proposal
TO reduce school aid to federally
impacted areas represents "a
radical reversal In its think
ing" since 1853. Representative
Foley. Democrat Of Maryland.
charged today.
The Congressman. who ap-
peared before q House Educa-
ton subcommittee with ofiicials
from Montgomery. Frederick
and Washington Counties. said
the cutback would have o seri-
Gus effect in his district ain the
face Of growing and intensified
need"
The proposed reduction Is in
dorsed by Health, Education
and Welfare Secretary Flem-
ming. II would cut the amount
Of aid by SCI million nationally
this coming year-including
$2.5 million In Maryland.
Under its terms. there would
be Q 80 per cent reduction in
allowances for children whose
parents work for the Govern
ment outside the school district.
This would hit Montgomery
County particularly hard Abe-
cause Of its many Government
employees who work in WASH
ington.
Request Recalled
Mr.. Foley noted that in 1858
HEW Secretary Oveta Culp
Hobby specifically requested aid
for bedroom communities not
in the same State as Federal
installations"
The same, year, DR.. Paul I.
Grigsby, acting commissioner
Of the Once of Education, said
the Federal responsibility in
impacted communities was due
to both the tax-exempt status
Of Government property. which
lowers school revenues. and
the employment by the Fed
eral Government Of substantial
numbers Of workers whose
children add to the normal
school population"
Mr.. Flemming. according to
the Congress- m an, recon-
mended the cutback because
Of lowered estimates Of the
value Of the Government prop
erty. But he never mentioned
the second aspect, the federally
connected children" Mr.. Foley
added.
I'VE must not lose sight Of
the fact that the 1858 com
muting' amendment Ito pro-
wide aid for such jurisdictions
as Montgomery County, was
proposed by the administration
to eliminate an existing in
Equity. Today, the justifica-
Ition for this action is increas-
lngly made more apparent" he
said.
Montgomery Loss Cited
Montgomery School Supt.
lC. Taylor Whittier said his
schools would lose $803. 900
under the proposed measure.
This is enough money. he said.
Ito educate 4.095 kindergarten
lpupils, 2.143 elementary stu
dents. or 1854 high school stu
dents. It also could support
1.-THE county's entire junior col
llege program. he added.
4 More than $4,000 Of the
lcounty's $4,000 students come
from federally connected FAM
lilies. the educator said.
Current Problems Noted
j Mrs. Stella B. Werner, presi.
dent Of the Montgomery County
Council, noted the financial
IproblemS already facing the
county schools. Even with the
current aid program, she said
more than SO per cent Of al
local taxes collected 60 e
financing the educational sys-
tenn.
Mrs. Rose C. Kramer, presi.
dent Of Montgomery School
Board, said the cutback would
be "a serious deprivation to
community such as ours"
1 Representing the Montgom-
Iery County Council of Parent
Teacher Associations, Mrs.
Edna P. Cook said she favors
new legislation for full pay
!, |ment in lieu Of taxes on Fed
eral property. Until such q
measure is enacted, she said,
she favors continuing the pres
ent aid program.
i Subcommittee Charm o I
: Bailey, Democrat Of West Vir.
lginia. announced that today,
session concluded hearings fol
opponents of the cutback. Rep.
Iresentatives from other neigh.
boring jurisdictions had testi.
!, fed previously.