Page 2 THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, OCT. 30, 1975
Part ZjrfJt
Funds’ uses broadened
in Education article
Associated Press
AUSTIN, Tex. — For all the
time legislators spend debating the
education article of the proposed
new Texas Constitution, they came
up with very little in the way of
change.
Possibly the most intense debate
of the 1974 Constitutional Conven
tion, whose work was submitted to
the voters by this year’s legislature,
revolved around education.
But what resulted was an appa
rently innocuous declaration for
“equal educational opportunity,”
addition of instructional materials
to the free textbooks provision and
expansion of college and university
bonds.
The article says the legislature
has a duty to provide a public
school system that furnishes “each
individual an equal educational
opportunity” — a gesture toward
meeting the problem of financial
inequality that was raised by the
Rodriguez case. But it follows this
guarantee with a provision that al
lows districts with plenty of taxable
Special News
Analysis Series
property to continue “enriching”
their program meaning the rich
probably can keep their edge over
the poor in educational quality.
State Comptroller Bob Bullock
contends the “equal educational
opportunity” guaranteed “should
increase pressures for more spend
ing for public school education.”
The $100 million now appropriated
for “equalization aid is only “a
minimal example of what will fol
low, he predicts.
The Legislature Budget Board,
however, contends the state al
ready is implementing a commit
ment to “equal educational oppor
tunity and any fiscal implications”
of and item “would have to do with
the distribution of state school aid
rather than the total amount of
state school aid.”
George Braden, former Yale law
professor, said the equal opportun
ity requirement is “a confused
command that would require
many judicial interpretations.
“The compromise between the
desire for equal opportunity and
the unwillingness to forego the op
portunity for local communities to
provide themselves with some
thing better than the state average
defies logic and altogether satisfies
no one, he said.
“Nevertheless, the norm of
equal opportunity is stated and will
undoubtedly have weight with the
legislature and the courts.”
Under the new document, the
cost of instructional materials used
in the schools would come out of
the Available School Fund, repre
senting a drain of $20 million to $24
million a year before the rest of the
fund is distributed to school dis
tricts on a per child basis.
Bullock contended the general
revenue fund would have to make
this up, but the budget board said:
“The net result would be a reduc
tion of approximately $10 per pupil
in state aid to ‘budget balance’ dis
tricts — comparatively rich dis
tricts — offset by the value of in
structional materials those districts
would receive.
When Gov. Dolph Briscoe de
clared his opposition to the new
constitution on Oct. 14, his sole
mention of the education article
concerned university bonds.
“I am opposed to increasing the
bonding authority of the Perma
nent University Fund at a time
when enrollment in institutions of
higher learning is leveling off,”
Briscoe said.
The permanent fund consists of
invested oil and gas royalties and
other income from land dedicated
to support of the University of
Texas and Texas A&M. Dividends
from the investments become the
Available University Fund, which
can be used to pay off construction
bonds and finance “extras” for the
two systems.
The new constitution would
raise the amount of bonds that can
be issued from 20 percent to 30 per
cent of the size of the permanent
fund. It also would allow the bond
proceeds to be spent on all cam
puses of the two university sys
tems, not just the main ones, and
add library books and building re
pairs to the purposes for which the
money could be used.
Bullock said repayment of the
additional bonds would reduce the
amount of the available fund that
could be spent on other things, and
general revenue would have to take
up the slack.
The budget board agreed, but
also said bonds could finance some
things that now are paid for out of
general taxes. It mentioned con
struction and repairs at UT and
A&M system schools that presently
cannot benefit from Permanent
University Fund bonds.
Schools not in the two super sys
tems would get a “higher Educa
tion Fund, with the 10-cent state
property tax backing their bonds.
The tax now yields $25.9 million a
year, already used to back some
college debts.
The legislature could reduce the
tax rate if full market value assess
ment of property sent yield from
the property tax soaring beyond
needed amounts.
The LBB said “Higher Educa
tion Fund bonds might ease pres
sure on the general fund to finance
items that totaled $36 million this
year, such as construction at the
participating schools.
SLOUCH
By JIM EARLE
NOTICE »
All. sroDe/cms
IN. TM PEPT ,
WAVE g>EEM CSWEM
ONE OP TWE
Fo uLOW I NO (S-PAPE 1
po Uc>T
ZBAO
-TWS.
“Not only does it protect our right of privacy, but it’s less
trouble to post mid-semester grades this way!”
Cbe Battalion
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of the writer of the article and are not necessarily those of the
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Director of Student Publieations: Gael L. Cooper.
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MEMBER
The Associated Press, Texas Press Association
Editor James Breedlove
Assistant Editor Roxie Hearn
Production Manager T. C. Gallucci
City Editor Steve Gray
Campus Editor Sandy Russo
Sports Editor Paul McGrath
Photography Director Jack Holm
AGGIES!
VOTE
NOV. 4
PROPOSED TEXAS CONSTITUTION
ELECTION
“Let the Student Voice Count!”
• For information on the ISSUES call toll free 1-800-292-9628.
• For voting precinct locations, call tax assessor-collector: 822-7373
Paid for by TAMU Student Government
Identification necessary
Editor:
This may seem like a minor thing,
but I would like to express my opin
ion about something. I would like to
know why it is necessary to print the
name, hometown, and major of per
sons who are arrested and charged
with possession of illegal substances
on campus. It would serve just as
well to print the facts without the
actual names of those involved.
This campus is not unlike a small
community, and I feel confident
that the people who are charged
with such crimes have enough has
sles without their professors and
classmates being aware that they are
the ones they read about in the
paper. I urge you to reevaluate your
policy concerning this matter.
Brian Cunningham
A newspaper’s purpose is to pro
vide a complete and accurate ac
count of news events. When a stu
dent is arrested, it becomes a news
have you heard sonc
OF The FRGSHnBOJ CAFlPAIGOJ
RRomses, bob ? thgy're.
66TTI0Xb A UTTLS (UlLp! J
Tnef’Re (uot
THAT BAD, GARL.J
event, and accurate coverage is
provided throughout his trial pro
ceedings. In order for the report to
be complete, it must include the
student’s name.
For the protection of innocent
persons, The Battalion must be as
specific as possible.
Parking
Editor:
During the previous football
games held here, several hundred
automobiles have used the bonfire
site as a parking lot, with the ap
proval of Campus Security.
These automobiles are destroying
the grass cover and are turning this
field into a hard packed, dust co
vered area ill-suited for the in
tramural sports which are held
there.
After the winter rains commence,
because of the destruction of the
grass cover, it will be transformed
into a mud covered wasteland use
less for parking and subject to ero
sion.
I know that large crowds are ex
pected for our remaining home
games. That is great, but I don’t
think we should allow temporary
expediency to foreshadow the
longer term disadvantages.
Following the commencement of
the winter rains, which will render
the site useless for parking, an al
ternative solution will have to be
found. Why not find such a solution
nowPPerhaps these cars which park
on the bonfire site could park in the
large lot across from Zachry En
gineering Center. This Idt is largely
empty on a Saturday, even when
there is a home football game
scheduled.
The shuttle bus system buses
could be employed to transfer]
football fans between the parking
and Kyle Field. These busesta
travel between the stadium aniil
parking lot at regular intervalsH
woidd allow the football fanstoi
rive and depart when they wisk
This plan may not be a peif
solution but it is better than thep
sent parking policy.
Joe Scamd
OMBUDSMAN
If you have a question or con-
plaint regarding news eoveragt
please contact our Ombudi-
man’s ofTice between 6 and II
p.m., Monday through Thuri-
day. We established the offnt
to help you with problems ro
((iiiring the attention ofanyty
editorial personnel of The Bat
talion. Call
845-2611
GLGCTGD, BRSU-
pAOPqi5eS :
fv,pp,ee room + BOARb!
t?5TUbewT V6-TD ^ , THfclR
OVslN HNftt- fatwafeS!
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B)U_ TO eVGRYOMfc
U3HO VOTtS FORggggy;
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IF YOU SAY ANYTHING
I’LL R\P OUT MDUR im.
Want To Race?
Join us in a race against the clock. Bring your Race Car (XKE,
VW, Pick-Up, or?) to the Texas A&M Sports Car Club.
Autocross
Saturday, 1 November 1975 at parking lot 61 across from
Kyle Field. Registration 10 a.m., first car off at 12:30.
I Classes for all vehicles to equalize competition.Girls: We have a “powder
puff” class too. Members $3, Non-Members $4, Trophies to be awarded.
L ->
Earlier this week two pieces were taken
from the College of Architecture and En
vironmental Design Faculty Art Show.
This is a plea to any person or persons
who have any knowledge of this incident
to contact the MSC main desk — 845-
1611. If the pieces are returned to the
desk no questions will be asked.
We urge your cooperation in regard to
the reparation of these circumstances as
they are sure to affect the future of this
university’s opportunities for exposure to
the arts.
SEAFOOD
AND FRIED CHICKEN
Fresh water catfish, fresh shrimp, oysters, clams,
southern-fried chicken, home-made hush puppies.
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Open 7 days a week
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