Loudoun Times-Mirror— Thursday, April 11, 1940
Will Ask County For $4,500
More For Negro School

School Board Votes Approval
Of Additional Funds To
Equip Colored High School

SUPERVISORS TO ACT

School Teachers Are Named
At Sessions Here Tuesday;
Study Salary Schedule

       The Loudoun County School Board determined at its meeting here Tuesday to request from the county an additional appropriation of $4,500 to be used for improving the high school facilities for colored pupils in Loudoun. The supplementary appropriation, if granted, would be in answer to the repeated request of the County-Wide League through its attorney, Charles H. Houston, colored, for more complete facilities for the Negro schools. P. J Coleman, member of the board for Broad Run district, voted in the negative for an additional appropriation.
        Houston, appearing before the School Board here Tuesday, asked that the board state specifically what improvements might be expected for the 1940-41 term. The board gave only the reply that plans had not been completed.
       The board, however, later, in executive session, took under consideration improvements for the colored high school at Leesburg that would represent an expenditure of approximately $4,500 to include two high school teachers, $1.500; conditioning building, $500; laboratory equipment, $300; home economics equipment, $300; furniture, $400; transportation, $1,500.
       Provided that in case a ruling of the attorney general of Virginia will permit the use of increased State funds for additional teachers then this supplementary request for colored school facilities will be for $3,000.
       Approval of such an expenditure, however, is required from the Board of Supervisors.
       The School Board had proposed plans for an addition to the colored high school previous to any request from Houston or the County Wide League, supervisors some weeks ago approving a Literary Fund loan for the construction of a new high school building at Leesburg. Funds from that source, however, will not be available for another year.
       Also had the School Board considered its budget for the coming year, salary increases for the colored teachers. These benefits too for the colored school had been proposed long before any movement on the part of the County-Wide League.
       With Houston, who laid the claims of the colored race before the school authorities here Monday, was a large delegation of colored residents.
       The board took no action on bills presented during the past few weeks from Negroes as follows: Daisy Allen, Aldie (Oakham Farm) transportation, $45.; Annie Wyath, Sterling, transportation for daughter, Ruth Williams for two years, $85.35; William McK. Jackson, Middleburg, tuition and board, $210.

TAYLORSTOWN SCHOOL OPEN

       Other business transacted by the School board here Tuesday included a resolution providing for one teacher at the Philomont school for the 1940-41 session and the addition of a teacher in the Lucketts school.
       Action to close the Taylorstown school for the 1940-41 session was rescinded.
       It was resolved that the sum of $800 set aside for sick leave for teachers in 1940-41 be allocated separately to white and colored teachers in ratio of their numbers and to be administered according to regulations.
       Also it was agreed that for the session 1940-41 salaries of white teachers shall be as fixed for the year 1939-40 by the existing salary schedule and salaries of colored teachers shall be as fixed for the year 1939-40 by the existing schedules except the salaries of colored teachers shall be paid 10 months at the 1939-40 monthly rate.

       Miscellaneous information about teacher resignations follows, then:

       Notice was had by the board on March 28 from the State superintendent of public instruction that any increase in the State appropriation shall be used to increase the salaries of teacher above the 1939-40 salaries. Since it was originally the plan of the School board to use the State fund increases for other purposes, the board resolved that estimates set up in the county school budget be amended for the session 1940-41 to read as follows, in order to balance the original budget:

[Figures are verbatim as they appear in the article.]

       It is provided that any increase in the State general appropriation above that set up in this budget shall be used for increases in the salaries of teachers or for the employment of additional teachers or both and any increases shall be determined only after receipt of notice of the actual sum to be received from the State of Virginia.
        The balancing of the budget as outlined would necessitate eliminating all transportation aid to pupils except where regular bus routes are operated.
       However, the Board of Supervisors will be requested to make a supplementary appropriation of $1,500 to care for this transportation on the 1939-40 basis.

[ A listing of teacher appointments follows in the article.]

From Thomas Balch Library Newspaper File