Education: Surprise

With other U. S. municipalities climbing out of the last Depression and restoring normal school services, two major cities last week surprisingly closed their schools for a prolonged Christmas vacation for lack of funds.

Minneapolis, which had already lost half a school term since 1933 through shortened semesters, extended the holiday from two to three weeks as its school funds again ran low. This means a week's layoff for teachers on top of a 12% salary cut.

Cincinnati schools closed nine days early for a two-and-one-half-week vacation, this year have been in session only 160 days, 40 days less than normal. Nine-and-one-half days were lost during last winter's flood. Reason for the rest of the school loss in Ohio's best-run city is a State constitutional amendment, wangled by real-estate men and farmers in 1934, fixing a 10-mills realty tax ceiling. To balance its budget for normal school activities, Cincinnati's Board of Education last fall had to submit a special tax levy to the voters. It was narrowly defeated (93,312-to-90,246) and the school year was shortened from ten to eight-and-one-half months. This fall a special tax levy for the next biennium was approved, but there is no certainty of a full term next year because revaluation of property may cut the board's income.

Deploring these happenings, American Federation of Teachers last week called on the two cities to put their financial houses in order, scolded: "There can be no vacation in the learning process for future citizens of a democracy."