2 Towns to Pay Fees And Keep 164 Pupils On Camden High List

Pennsauken and Woodlynne $12,851 Behind in Bills to School Board

MANUAL TRAINING CLASSES CUT OFF

Domestic Science Dropped and Continuation Studies Will Cease

Less than 24 hours after the Camden Board of Education had warned school officials of Pennsauken township and Woodlynne borough that 164 pupils from those towns faced dismissal from Camden Senior High School, officials of both communities last night promised that money owed the local board would be transmitted today.

Failure of Pennsauken and Woodlynne to pay a total of $12,851.51 in tuition fees due Dec. 31, was the basis of the order sent out by Albert Austermuhl, secretary of the Camden board, on authority of Dr. Leon N. Neulen, superintendent of Camden schools. Pennsauken owes $11,790 for 150 pupils and Woodlynne’s debt is $1061.51 for 14 pupils.

G. Harry Carson, Merchantville, is district clerk of the Pennsauken Board of Education. He notified members of the board when the warning from Camden was received.

J. Perry Long, president of the Pennsauken township school board, expressed surprise at the notice. He said the check covering the amount would be delivered in Camden today.

“Pennsauken township never has defaulted in its payment to the Camden board and does not expect to do so now. The $11,790 due is for tuition for the semester which closed yesterday and we shall pay in full.”

“The bill sent us by the Camden board, dated Nov. 1, 1931, informed us the money was due yesterday and would have been mailed then but for the fact that the clerk was busy with numerous other matters concerning the township board’s payroll.”

William Daugherty, Woodlynne borough clerk, announced that the borough had transferred the necessary fund to the Woodlynne school board’s account and that a check would be sent to the Camden board today.

Despite these assurances, the Camden board still was confronted with many problems. They included the announced intention of abandoning the Camden Evening School classes at Haddon and Newton Avenues and the Continuation School at 555 Mt. Vernon street, and dropping of manual training and domestic science courses in all elementary schools.

A net reduction of $164,466 from items in the budget for the current school year was revealed Monday when the schedule of appropriations and income for the 1933-34 term was presented. In addition to this figure a move is under way to lop off $417,766 by cutting 30 percent from salaries of 800 schoolteachers, principals and supervisors. This pay slash was ordered by the Camden City Commission but still is pending because of delay in legislation on state mandatory laws which govern the amounts paid to instructors.

Teachers Oppose Plan

The Camden Teachers’ Association on January 10, voted against accepting the slash, describing it as too drastic. During the past year the teachers refunded $108,000 from their pay and are under agreement to turn back $17,000 before the end of the current school term.

Protected from arbitrary slashes in the same manner as teachers, 92 school janitors have agreed to 5 and 10 percent cuts, amounting to approximately $15,000.

While complete details regarding the extent of the economy measures under consideration in the Camden school system were lacking last night, it was indicated that curtailment of various special classes in many of the city’s 38 schools would be required. A number of teachers will be dropped.

Reductions Are Drastic

The special classes expected to be curtailed include art, penmanship and physical education. No appropriation for the Continuation School, which last year totaled $22,078, was included in the 1933-34 budget. The Evening School appropriation of $2900 is wiped out.

The following table shows the amount of reduction in each item of the list of appropriations: