Something About Costs
- - - As Printed in
1951
1951
THE EDUCATION, health and
safety of youngsters enrolled in
Schenectady's 25 public schools
requires the services of teachers,
principals, supervisors, directors,
administrators, secretaries,
cafeteria workers, delivery
personnel, nurses, doctors, guidance
counselors, janitors, matrons and
laborers. Buildings have to be
heated, lighted, cleaned, repaired
and insured.
In an effort to put the schools back
into good physical condition after
almost 20 years (1931 ->) of
deferring maintenance and
improvement needs a major repair
program was begun in 1947. Up
to September of 1951 it had cost
$782,194. The program includes
minor or major repairs and
improvements for every school in the
city system - $103,080 has been
spent at Central Park junior high
school, $58,732 at Washington
Irving, $94,916 at Lincoln School
and lesser amounts at the others.
The work has included painting,
repairs to heating systems, roofs
and floors, playground improvement.
A major part of the program is
relighting of school classrooms.
Since the program was begun, a new
fluorescent lighting has been
installed throughout the following
schools - Central Park, Euclid
Avenue, Franklin, Halsey, Horace
Mann, Lincoln, McKinley, Van Corlaer,
Washington Irving, Woodlawn and
Yates.
The total school budget for 1951 was
set at $3,978,646, of which
$2,436,356 was derived from local
real estate tax. The 1951
school tax rate is $13.98 per $1,000
of assessed valuation. On July
1, 1951, the school system became
fiscally independent of the
municipal government, by act of the
state legislature and now has a
direct responsibility to the people
for the school tax rate and school
budget.
DECLINING PURCHASING POWER of
the school dollar is demonstrated at
right by Tulloch M. Townsend,
assistance superintendent for
business affairs. The larger
stack of school paper could have
been bought 10 years ago (1941) for
what the smaller stack costs today.
Prices of paper bought for school
use have risen by 250 - 300 per cent
in that time, pencils by about 50
percent, typewriters by more than 40
percent and books by about 25 per
cent. With today's (1951)
dollar worth approximately 54 cents,
compared with its valuation 10 years
ago, school systems everywhere are
facing trying times. The
problem is a familiar one to
housewives who know how little they
can buy with their 1951 grocery
dollar.
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