Construction of about 12,000 housing units for military personnel on or near military bases, approved under the Wherry housing program, will not be completed until after June 30, 1954. The children who will come into these new housing areas cannot be counted under Public Law 246, and may be lacking school facilities unless the Congress enacts S. 3450 or a similar measure. In some other localities enrollment increases may be expected due to the development of reclamation and flood-control projects. The Department of Defense is requesting authority to build 25,000 family housing units in the coming fiscal year out of funds to be appropriated. The Department is also requesting extension of the Wherry Act, which would result in additional construction of housing on or near military bases. Altogether there are many indications of grave need for enactment of S. 3450 providing for a continuation of this program. Pursuant to recommendations by President Eisenhower, some Federal and State officials are making plans for State and National conferences to consider the crucial problems of public education. It is apparent that the State and National conferences on educational problems, if held at all, will not convene until sometime in 1955 or 1956, or even later. If we delay the provision of adequate school facilities until several years from now, how can we hope to cope with our growing problem of juvenile delinquency and other problems arising from inadequate education of these children "a few years from now." The education of a child is an inevitable process-whether it be good or bad. It may be an unfortunate education leading to the life of an undesirable citizen, or a good education leading to the life of a useful and respectable citizen. What kind of education the child receives may depend largely upon the existence or lack of adequate public-school facilities. The school housing needs of our Nation's children residing in certain federally affected localities are particularly serious and urgent. The Federal responsibility in these localities is clear. We should enact S. 3450 without delay. Mr. Chairman, in order to complete the record, I would like to have incorporated a copy of my letter to you of June 16 as well as the letter from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare dated July 1, and copy of my letter which was directed to the Senators of the various States listed in the statement submitted by the Department to me. Because of your intimacy and firsthand knowledge of conditions created by the locating of Federal activities in the smaller areas, I feel sure that no further urging is necessary to insure your sympathetic and considerate approach to the necessity for expeditious action in this particular instance. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and the members of the committee, for your kindness and courtesy. Hon. H. ALEXANDER SMITH, UNITED STATES SENATE, Senate Office Building, Washington 25, D. C. DEAR SENATOR: Because of the direct effect that S. 3450 would have on certain communities in your State, I am taking the liberty of transmitting to you copy of my letter of June 15 to Senator Cooper, chairman of the Subcommittee on Education, and copy of letter dated July 1, 1954, from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Office of Education, which are self-explanatory. S. 3450 calls for a simple extension of title III of Public Law 815, which expired June 30, 1954. This provided for substantial Federal assistance in school construction necessary to properly house the increase in school population resulting entirely from Federal activities in the area. It provides for the housing of unhoused federally connected children. S. 3450 can be truly looked upon as the "cleanup" phase of this program. I especially emphasize the estimated cost, $9,900,000, that would be incurred through the enactment of this extension. Time is running out and, from observation, it occurs to me that other programs are going to be confronted with insurmountable barriers insofar as enactment during this session is concerned. Failure to provide for an extension of title III of Public Law 815, whether it be that called for in S. 3450 or otherwise, will mean an unwarranted and unimaginable crowding of children, or a year's deferment in their educational progress. I bring this to your attention, first, because communities in your State are directly affected and, secondly, because I am somewhat familiar with your deep interest in the field of public education. I am sure that you will be pleased to participate in insuring that the necessary authorization and appropriations are provided for during this session. Cordially, DEAR SENATOR BURKE: This is in further reference to Commissioner Brownell's letter to you of June 26, 1954, giving information relative to school districts likely to have a large impact in the coming year and will answer the telephone request made today by Mr. Kelly of your office for a list of the school districts mentioned in that letter and the probable estimated cost. Enclosed is a list of the school districts which estimated that during the 1954-55 school year they will have an increase in federally connected children of 10 percent or more of the 1954 total average daily attendance. The letter of June 26 indicated that there were 64 such districts out of the total of 1,466 districts replying to the post card survey. These 1,466 districts represent 54 percent of last year's applicants under Public Law 874. The enclosed list contains only 63 districts because an error was discovered in the reported data for one of the districts inIcluded in the earlier list. We do not have adequate information on which to base estimates of the cost of a bill which would provide facilities for all unhoused children. The terms of the act under which we are operating at present and the terms of the proposal introduced by you limit construction of school facilities to unhoused children. The post card survey from which the enclosed list was taken gives no information regarding the number of unhoused children and the data regarding estimated increases in federally connected children are estimates. The order of the costs involved can be shown by stating that, based on an estimated average cost per child of $640 under the Public Law 815 program, and if the estimated 15,500 federally connected children were in fact all unhoused children, the total amount would be $9,900,000 for the children in these 63 districts. I trust that this information will be helpful to you. I shall be glad to provide further information if you desire. Sincerely yours, J. Kenneth Little, List of school districts which estimate an increase of 5 percent or more in average daily attendance of all children from the 1953-55 school year which estimate an increase in section 3 federally connected children of 10 percent or more of the total 1954 daily attendance as reported to the United States Office of Education June 1954. Arkansas: Pulaski County special school district Hueneme Elementary School District Morongo School District, Twentynine Palms Lancaster School District of Los Angeles County San Clemente Elementary School District San Joaquin School District of Orange County Folsom Unified School District of Sacramento County Palmdale School District American Canyon School District Alamitos School District Muroc Unified School District Class C School District No. 92 of Bonneville County Illinois: Common Consolidated School District 70-C, Joliet Kansas: Indian Springs School District Mineral County High School New Hampshire: Newcastle School District, Rockingham County Board of Education of Township of New Hanover, Wrightstown New Mexico: Farmington Municipal School District No. 5 Dona Ana County Board of Education Alamogordo Municipal Board of Education New York: Central School District No. 2, Towns of Guilderland, Bethlehem, and New Scotland Ohio: Clay Local School District Piketon Local School District Waverly Local School District Hamilton Local Board of Education Oklahoma: Berwyn Dependent No. 71 Oregon: Wasco County School District No. 9 School Commission of Town of Middletown Town of North Kingston, School Department, Wickford Tennessee: Rogersville City Board of Education Texas: Sundeen Independent School District Reno Common School District No. 78 Fort Sam Houston Independent School District Copperas Cove Independent School District Colorado County School District No. 36 Garner Common School District No. 83 White Settlement County School District No. 37 Connally Consolidated Independent School District Virginia: County of Fairfax Wisconsin: Att School District No. 2, Town of Washington, Ironton, Lime Ridge Washington: Moses Lake Consolidated School District No. 161 Lower Crab Creek District No. 160, Smyrna Medical Lake School District No. 326 Consolidated School District No. 201, Oak Harbor JUNE 16, 1954. Hon. JOHN SHERMAN COOPER, Chairman, Subcommittee on Education, Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, United States Senate, Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATOR COOPER: For your convenience, I am enclosing herewith a copy of S. 3450, which I introduced on May 13, calling for a 2-year extension of title III, Public Law 815 (Public Law 246, 83d Cong., chap. 400, 1st sess., approved August 8, 1953). The object and purpose of Public Law 246 was "to amend Public Law 815, 81st Congress, to provide a temporary program of assistance in the construction of minimum school facilities in areas affected by Federal activities ***” The object and purpose of S. 3450 is to provide a "temporary" extension of this temporary program. Up until now, I have refrained from endeavoring to secure special consideration of S. 3450 because of my thought and hope that, in the program which your subcommittee would submit, there would be encompassed necessary authorization under which the Federal Government could continue its participation in this particular phase of the school-construction program. However, in view of recent developments which have tended to point up the unenthusiastic attitude-which almost takes the position of opposition-that the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare has evidenced toward any permanent program that may be proposed at this time which may have substantial adverse effect on the legislative processes, I have concluded that I must exert every effort possible in securing prompt and favorable consideracion of S. 3450, in the hope that there may emanate from your subcommittee recommendations authorizing a continuation of title III program. In support of this position, I respectfully submit that the Secretary of HEW has recently suggested the deferment of legislation providing for Federal participation in financing school construction in general until after the program of State and national conferences to discuss the crucial problems of public education has been held and until the report and recommendations of the Commission on Intergovernmental Relations concerning the whole matter of Federal, State, and local fiscal relations have been submitted. The position of the Secretary and the Department with respect to an overall educational program contemplating Federal participation may be well taken insofar as a permanent program is concerned. But I respectfully contend that this particular program does not contemplate a permanency of life, as Public Law 246 itself specifically stated that its purpose was to provide a "temporary" program, and S. 3450 provides for a "temporary" extension of this temporary program. In its enactment of Public Law 246, Congress acted upon a recognition of a fact. The fact is that activities of the Federal Government and the Federal acquisition of property have created or aggravated the problems of providing adequate school facilities in some localities. It stamps its wholehearted approval upon the Federal Government's accepting its obligation and its responsibility. Since its enactment, and to the close of its tenure, June 30, 1954, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare estimates that there will be expended some $110,000,000 in liquidation of the Federal Government's recognition of its liability under Public Law 246. Practically all the 48 States have participated in this program. This overall expenditure contemplates completion of those projects for which applications were submitted and approved prior to June 30, 1954. It is pertinent to point out that under existing provisions of law (Public Law 246), projects based upon anticipated increases in population due to Federal activities occurring after June 30, 1954, may not be considered. Thus, a community or area in which the "peak of impact" has not been reached before June 30, 1954, suffers a penalty for which it in no way, shape, form, or fashion is responsible. It is to remove this penalty aspect of the situation that S. 3450 looks toward. As an illustration of the situation with which certain communities will be faced, I point to the community of Waverly, Ohio. Waverly is located in proximity to the new Atomic Energy Commission facility now under construction in Pike County, Ohio. As of this date, there exist 815 firm commitments for housing facilities which are expected to be inhabited before the commencement of the next school term in September 1954. It is estimated that there will be some 800 to 1,000 additional children eligible to attend school. But under existing law, this anticipated increase in school enrollment cannot be considered for the purpose of making eligible a school construction project. Even present school facilities are inadequate for present enrollment. In view of this, it is an easy matter to visualize the chaos and confusion that will result in the event an attempt is made to house these children in existing facilities. I know that numerous other communities within a five-county area surrounding this project are similarly affected, and I feel certain that numerous areas throughout the country will be similarly involved. For the purpose of emphasizing the situation, I feel it proper to suggest that you consider a hypothetical situation-say Paducah, Ky., where you have a similar Atomic Energy project-where the "peak of impact" had not been reached and you know full well that serious increases in school population would occur in the immediate future, but because of statutory provisions they could not be considered for the purpose of securing Federal assistance for school construction purposes and the life of the statute would soon expire. I feel, Senator, that your sense of fairness would inspire you to great efforts to secure extension of law that would continue existing authorizations. I have endeavored to secure estimates from the Department as to the cost to the Federal Government under the extension proposed under S. 3450, but have been unsuccessful. I am informed that this is due to the lack of data concerning the specific problem. But I have assurances from the Department that because the "peak of impact" in most areas has been reached, it can reasonably be stated that the expenditures under the extension would be very materially less. S. 3450 can be looked upon as authorizing the "clean-up" phase of the program. I feel that you and each of the members of your subcommittee will agree that to permit this authorization to expire on June 30 would be inequitable and completely unfair to the communities where the impact because of Federal activities continues beyond June 30. I sincerely urge your immediate consideration of S. 3450. While, of course, it is a matter for the committee to determine, it is nevertheless my thought that your subcommittee and the Congress could in all reasonableness act without requiring extensive hearings. Inasmuch as the need for such a program has been previously determined; the fact that the Federal Government's obligations have been recognized, and the fact that similar conditions continue to prevail, it would strike me that a simple, brief, comprehensive statement from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, indicating the extent to which further participation by the Federal Government is necessary to completely honor and carry out its obligation, would suffice for the requirements of "a showing the need" of the legislation. I will be most appreciative of your courtesies in the matter. Cordially, THOMAS A. BURKE, Senator COOPER. Thank you, Senator Burke, and your statement will be printed in the record. Senator MURRAY. I would like to say I am glad you took the time off to come here this morning and submit a statement. I think it is very important that this should be reported, and I will do everything I can to help. Senator BURKE. Thank you, Senator. It is a serious problem in my State, and I know many other States are equally affected. Senator COOPER. Will you state your name, please? Mr. TEICHERT. My name is John R. Teichert. Senator COOPER. And the capacity in which you appear here. Mr. TEICHERT. I am appearing here as the executive head and authorized representative of the Waverly Local Board of Education. STATEMENT OF JOHN R. TEICHERT, APPEARING FOR WAVERLY, OHIO, BOARD OF EDUCATION Mr. TEICHERT. Mr. Chairman, in the interest of saving time, I have prepared a statement. I would like to say that in the Waverly Local School District we have a rated capacity for 770 children. At the |