Federal aid to education, in my opinion, is a necessity, ai glad to support H. R. 2953, introduced by the chairman of t committee, the Honorable Edward O. McCowen, of Ohio. Mr. McCOWEN. The committee will recess for a few minute der that the members may answer roll call. (Short recess.) Mr. McCOWEN. The committee will come to order. Mrs. Lusk, for the purposes of the record, will you state your position, and former position? STATEMENT OF HON. GEORGIA L. LUSK, A REPRESENTATIV Mrs. LUSK. Georgia Lusk, Member of Congress from New Me Mr. McCowEN. You may proceed with your statement. Mr. McCOWEN. Do you want to file one later? Mr. McCowEN. You may file that statement later, without obj tion, to appear at this point in the record if you can prepare it by Mo day. If not, we will put it in later. Mrs. LUSK. Mr. Chairman, I have listened to a number of witness offering testimony in behalf of Federal aid to education. It appea from the questions that have been asked by members of this committe that the members are most concerned over two or three angles of th problem of Federal aid. I am glad to note that everyone seems prett well agreed that Federal aid would be a great advantage to our school and that it is necessary. My feeling is that it is definitely importan if we are to have an adequate educational program. One of the most important points raised by members of the committee has been that of establishing Federal control over schools in order to provide Federal financial aid. Many times has our Government provided financial aid to different kinds of business when business has needed it through the years, and there has never been any thought or feeling that the Federal Government should enter into control of these businesses just because financial aid was being furnished. For that reason I cannot see any necessity for the Government taking control of schools or for disturbing the local and State controls under which our schools operate at the present time, in order that the Government could enter into the financial program. It is my thought that the money could be channeled through the State departments or State treasuries just as other forms of aid are channeled either by the government of the State through the local agencies without any interference with the controls at the local level. In my opinion there is no need for Members of Congress to be disturbed unduly over that point. Another important question raised is the matter of standards for public schools and meeting of certain standards in order to qualify for aid. I believe the people of the States are very anxious to have good schools. I believe that we can safely leave the establishing or setting up of adequate standards, the planning of programs, and organizing dren. There are many children Ẩ are facing a crisis in the world's assume leadership and that our We aim, for future participation in the Government if we are to a tante pentol of leadership that we now hold. B war and because of our fir continued leadership. We can atta a sound educational progra of to ts for good judgment in the proper af sam, to talk for themselves, to form their ow future world leadership - to pay for schools. Reg te things that IT. jes not have the rgt ee things and to temp lay is propeng fr *. *rvices exam ta! 2 percentage of our y e are not educated and are » N yn any capacity P -- ~~:~ts I feel that we great financial r Nation. 269 is Act be interpreted or constitution prerequisite public elementary-school ithin the States, there is ending June 30, 1948, the , 1949, the sum of $200,or each fiscal year theree States as hereinafter ated under section 3 of xcluding those enumer inner: seventeen years of age, it of Commerce, for the ion is made by (b) $40. yments for each State, 'e years including the ng the year for which -) exceeds the amount it of Federal aid due t spent in each State <cluding interest, debt and public secondaryr for which the comhe payments for each · five years including eceding the year for ny State is less than ited under (C), shall current expenditures ach State from local lic secondary-school > (b) the average of by the Department annual income data the computation is or any State, after such State shall be on 3 of this Act for ineligible for that determined in the › ratio equal to or or any fiscal year es the full amount is (A), (B), (C), ach eligible State ich such State as ears to the total riated under seche Commissioner moa, the Virgin Federal aid to education, in my opinion, is a necessity, and I am glad to support H. R. 2953, introduced by the chairman of this subcommittee, the Honorable Edward O. McCowen, of Ohio. Mr. McCOWEN. The committee will recess for a few minutes in order that the members may answer roll call. (Short recess.) Mr. McCOWEN. The committee will come to order. Mrs. Lusk, for the purposes of the record, will you state your name. position, and former position? STATEMENT OF HON. GEORGIA L. LUSK, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO Mrs. LUSK. Georgia Lusk, Member of Congress from New Mexico. I have served as State superintendent of public education for New Mexico. Mr. McCOWEN. You may proceed with your statement. Mrs. LUSK. May I say that I have not any written report prepared. I had intended to do that. Mr. McCOWEN. Do you want to file one later? Mrs. LUSK. I will do that later. Mr. McCowEN. You may file that statement later, without objection, to appear at this point in the record if you can prepare it by Monday. If not, we will put it in later. Mrs. LUSK. Mr. Chairman, I have listened to a number of witnesses offering testimony in behalf of Federal aid to education. It appears from the questions that have been asked by members of this committee that the members are most concerned over two or three angles of the problem of Federal aid. I am glad to note that everyone seems pretty well agreed that Federal aid would be a great advantage to our schools and that it is necessary. My feeling is that it is definitely important if we are to have an adequate educational program. One of the most important points raised by members of the committee has been that of establishing Federal control over schools in order to provide Federal financial aid. Many times has our Government provided financial aid to different kinds of business when business has needed it through the years, and there has never been any thought or feeling that the Federal Government should enter into control of these businesses just because financial aid was being furnished. For that reason I cannot see any necessity for the Government taking control of schools or for disturbing the local and State controls under which our schools operate at the present time, in order that the Government could enter into the financial program. It is my thought that the money could be channeled through the State departments or State treasuries just as other forms of aid are channeled either by the government of the State through the local agencies without any interference with the controls at the local level. In my opinion there is no need for Members of Congress to be disturbed unduly over that point. Another important question raised is the matter of standards for public schools and meeting of certain standards in order to qualify for aid. I believe the people of the States are very anxious to have good schools. I believe that we can safely leave the establishing or setting up of adequate standards, the planning of programs, and organizing the curricula to meet the needs of children to administrative authorities of the schools concerned. We have men and women who are qualified to do this kind of work. It would be preferable to trust to their judgment the organizing of schools that will meet the needs of the community. It is important that the people of the community support this kind of planning rather than for the Government to try to set up one type of standard for the entire country. A uniform standard would not be satisfactory because of the great variations or differences in the community needs. If our schools are to serve the greater purpose and meet the community's needs most adequately, they should be left to the control of people who understand the problems of the area where the schools are established. I feel that the patriotism and loyalty and great pride of our people will give sufficient support to the high standards that are needed and that the Government should not be allowed to interfere in establishing such standards. A third point that is important in my mind is the fact that we are not providing, through our present financial system and present school programs, education for all children. It is of maximum importance that we extend our education program to meet the needs of all children. There are many children who do not attend school at all. We are facing a crisis in the world's history. We know that we must assume leadership and that our children must be educated for future participation in the Government if we are to maintain the position of leadership that we now hold. Because of our success in winning the war and because of our financial stability, the world looks to us for continued leadership. We can maintain this leadership only through a sound educational program that would teach all children to use good judgment in the proper appreciation of values, to think for themselves, to form their own opinions and to do the things that seem to them right to do. The boy or girl who does not have the right educational background will not be able to do these things and to take his proper place as a citizen of the future. Our country's most far-reaching problem today is preparing for future world leadership through adequate educational programs. Many States have not been able to do all in this respect that they should have done. This has been largely due to financial inability to pay for schools. Regardless of the reason, the States have not met the responsibility. I believe that the experiences we had during the last war, including reports of our armed services examinations for selective service, showing that such a large percentage of our young men were denied participation in the service of their country because of educational or physical disabilities, are proof enough that we have a long way to go before we do offer adequate education to all the children. Such an educational program, in my judgment, is the sound basis for any kind of a national defense plan. This reason should justify the Government's participation in financing public schools of the Nation. If our people are not educated and are not healthy, they are not able to serve the country in any capacity. But as they grow older they are likely to become a definite liability and expense to the Government. For these reasons I feel that we have a right to expect the Government to meet this great financial responsibility in behalf of the young people of our Nation. I do not believe there is anything further I would say now, except that if there are any questions you would like me to answer, I will be glad to. Mr. McCowEN. I think you have made a very excellent statement. Mr. Lesinski, have you any questions? Mr. LESINSKI. I think the lady has made a very good statement. I do want to ask one question. Have you any sections in your State that are underprivileged? I mean sections where children do not go to school? Mrs. LUSK. Yes; we do. I would say there is not a State in the Union that does not have certain areas where children do not have privileges that are comparable with privileges in other areas. Perhaps in some States those facilities are better than in other States, but in New Mexico we have some very poor areas where they are unable to provide the tax money that is necessary for good schools. We have sought to have in our State an equalization program that is distributed from the State funds to all schools on the basis of average daily attendance, which equalizes the program to some extent, but we have areas that can provide much more money for teachers' salaries than other areas, and, of course, they can provide much more money for teachers and pay better salaries, and they have better buildings, better equipment, and health facilities. I think almost any State would have to have some help along that line to equalize opportunity. I do not mean the same opportunity for all children, but an equal opportunity, so that each youngster will be prepared to live a useful life when he has become an adult. Mr. LESINSKI. What is the population of your State? Mrs. LUSK. It is between five and six hundred thousand. I do not know exactly. Mr. LESINSKI. You have a very large area, in square miles. Mrs. LUSK. Yes, we do. It is sparsely settled. Mr. LESINSKI. You have many localities where there are only small groups of people? Mrs. LUSK. Yes. Mr. LESINSKI. Have you localities where there is a possibility that they do not even have a town hall, but they do have a little wooden church? Mrs. LUSK. Yes. Mr. LESINSKI. Now, would it not be logical for the education board to rent that church, with a subvention from the Government, to see that these children do get some education? Mrs. LUSK. We do that because no other space is available. Mr. LESINSKI. Would there be any objection to that, or would that again strike into the religious question? Mrs. LUSK. Well, not with us, it does not. I might say thisperhaps I should not say it, but I am going to, because it shows we have been broad-minded and have tried to use every facility available to the best advantage of our children, for all children. In sparsely settled areas in New Mexico, in the mountain areas, it is very hard to get trained lay teachers to come in and live during the school year in the type of home they would have to live in, and especially when they are a long way from any center where they might find friends and companionship. So we have employed the sisters of the various Catholic church organizations. They are usually degree peo |