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Frederick County is now bonded in the amount of 5.88 percent of its assessable wealth. The superintendent believes that 8 percent of assessable wealth represents a safe borrowing capacity for construction purposes, which would mean they could still borrow 2.12 percent of their total assessment, or, at the present assessment, $3,560,000.

C. Washington County

For the year ending June 30, 1958, our receipts were:

From the State of Maryland..

From the county commissioners.

From the sale of bonds...

Total receipts for construction__.

Expenditures for construction for the same period___

$124,970.00 880, 066. 27 2,706, 180. 69

3,711, 216. 96

3,732, 928.66

The expenditures above represents approximately 1.8 percent of the county's taxable basis of approximately $205 million.

The total county bonded or loan debt at June 30, 1958, was $14,025,754, of which $7,700,000 was school bonds and $3,075,280 was State school loans.

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The total bonded indebtedness for schools in Allegany County at the present is $6,182,000. With the tax base currently established at $170 million, this represents approximately 3.6 percent of the total tax base.

E. Garrett County

Within the past decade this county has spent approximately $3 million for school construction. A third of this has been spent during the past few years. It represents approximately 10 percent of the total tax base. Their local bonding capacity has long since been expended, and the amount of school construction has been made possible largely through the State school incentive fund.

II. TEACHERS' SALARIES AND THE TEACHER SHORTAGE IN MARYLAND

The exhibits below document some of the problems involved when local public schools are faced with the difficulties of maintaining adequate teachers' salaries, adequately trained teachers, and an adequate supply of qualified teachThese exhibits clearly indicate that, in Maryland—

ers.

(1) The local tax base cannot maintain a sufficient number of teachers to meet the growing demand at an adequate rate of pay.

(2) The Federal Government currently supports Maryland schools to the extent of about 4 percent, and the State by 35 percent. Sixty percent of the support for schools comes from local subdivisions. Obviously these figures are directly in the inverse order of the source and availability of

revenues.

(3) Federal assistance for teachers' salaries is vitally needed.Exhibit A, which begins with a summary sheet, indicates the actual money spent for teachers' salaries in Maryland and figures are given for each of the 24 subdivisions as well. The first column indicates what the cost would be on the local tax rate if each subdivision had to raise all of the funds locally which it is now spending for teachers' salaries without assistance from the State. For example, this amounts to $1.36 per $100 of assessed value in Montgomery County and reaches the high figure of $3 for Somerset County.

The second column indicates the actual portion of teachers' salaries which is being raised locally and the levy which it requires on the local tax rate. You will note from table A-2 that the $62,010,206 represents 67.8 percent of the total cost of salaries and is the average amount raised locally. This means that the remaining 32.2 percent of the cost of salaries is being paid by the State of Maryland.

The third column of the summary sheet gives the total portion of the real estate tax which is levied for schools in each subdivision. This figure is drawn from exhibit B, table 4. The salary portion of this tax is included in the column entitled, "Current expenses." In addition to salaries, this figure covers other services such as heat, light, supplies, janitorial services, etc. You will note that the cost of construction-capital outlay and debt service is also a large portion of the local effort for schools. For these reasons, it is obvious that there should be some relief at the Federal level for teachers' salaries. If we were to solve this problem and bring supply anywhere near the demand, it can be seen that the local tax rate cannot bear the additional burden necessary to close the gap between the salaries being paid to college graduates in other occupations and that currently offered to beginning teachers. The State is already making an effort which is being stretched to the taxable limits; therefore, we believe that Federal resources should be brought to bear on this problem.

Exhibit B, table 1, throws considerable light on the relative distribution for the support of our schools. You will note that the Federal Government is currently supporting schools in Maryland to the extent of 4.4 percent, the State by 35.6 percent, leaving a total of 60 percent to be drawn from the local subdivisions. Obviously these figures are directly in the inverse order of the source and availability of revenues.

Exhibit C shows the current pay scales for the 24 subdivisions of Maryland. Although the financial data is given for the year most recently available, 195758, you will note that the salary scales are for the current year, 1958-59. The small letter footnotes given for each of the counties indicate the additional payments for training beyond the bachelor's degree.

The average salary per teacher, including principals, for the city and for each of the subdivisions, are given in table 3 of exhibit B. These figures, you will note, are based on the year 1957-58. The current year's scales mentioned above are almost exactly $400 higher this year than those for 1957-58; therefore the averages shown in table will be approximately $400 higher in each category during the current year 1958-59.

Exhibit D indicates the teacher shortage, or, more properly speaking, the lack of a sufficient supply of fully qualified personnel. The first column indicates the percentage of teachers who withdrew for various reasons such as: Following their husbands into other areas of employment, maternity leave, retirement, and higher pay in other school systems and other types of employment. The percentage of teachers new to Maryland classrooms is greater because of the increased number of classrooms which must be staffed each year to take care of the increase in the total enrollment.

The third column, indicating the percentage of our teaching staff not regularly certified (e.g. with a bachelor's degree and specific courses in teacher training) indicates the real teacher shortage. This means that, statewide, almost one out of every three teachers in the Maryland counties is not fully trained for his work. In Anne Arundel County, almost one out of every two teachers is without full certification.

As the total enrollment continues to grow, we must encourage a higher percentage of our qualified high-school graduates to enter teacher training. For example, this June 1959, all of the colleges in Maryland will graduate 1,230 students who will meet full certification requirements. In September 1959 we will need to employ 4,500 additional teachers (1,400 for new classrooms and 3,100 to replace those who leave). It has been estimated that in order to fill this gap, we will need to attract 11 percent of all of our high-school graduates and 50 percent of all of our college graduates to this important task.

EXHIBIT A

Cost of teachers' salaries in Maryland in terms of local tax rate, 1957-58

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TABLE A-2.-Local funds for salaries of teachers and principals and effect on tax rate, Maryland public schools, 1957-58

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1 Estimated by applying to total salaries the percent of total current expense from local funds.

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EXHIBIT B

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA: MARYLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS, 1957-58

TABLE 1.-Source of current expenses,1 Maryland public schools, year ending June 30, 1958

Total State:

Allegany.

Anne Arundel.

Baltimore city.

Baltimore.

Calvert

Caroline.

Carroll.

Dorchester.

Frederick.

Garrett..

Harford.

Howard.

Montgomery.

Prince Georges.

Queen Annes...

St. Marys...
Somerset..
Talbot..

Washington.

Wicomico.

Worcester.

1 Includes payments applicable to the preceding year received after June 30, 1957, and excludes those for the current year received after June 30, 1958.

* Includes $11,706,331 for teachers' retirement system as follows: $3,030,090 State money

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