Page 4 THE BATTALION
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19. 1978
Scores higher
Back-to-basics study pays off in schools
United Press International
DALLAS — A “return to the
basics” in the all-black East Oak
CliH school district apparently has
paid off for students, who scored
higher on achievement tests than
black students in the city’s integ
rated schools, a new report shows.
Superintendent Nolan Estes
Sunday announced the results, part
of an intensive six-year study com
piled by the Dallas Independent
School District’s research and
evaluation department under the
direction of Dr. Bill Webster.
Estes said the study, conducted
from 1972 to 1978, showed second
grade students in East Oak Cliff, a
residential neighborhood in the
southwestern part of Dallas, achiev
ing at a “slightly higher” level than
black students at integrated schools.
Achievement levels of middle-
class whites showed no decreases,
he said, and in fact, “there has been
no decrease in achievement among
any group of students.”
The higher scores in the East Oak
Cliff district, where second graders
have improved by 26 points in the
last year, are attributable to the
more intensive, back-to-basics cur
riculum offered there since the Dal
las desegregation plan went into ef
fect in 1976, Estes said.
“We are putting more teachers,
more materials in Oak Cliff. The
court order required that we give
priority to East Oak Cliff,” he said.
But Estes said black students at
integrated schools were better off
“attitudinally” than those in segre
gated schools.
The superintendent stressed that
the findings do not indicate de
segregation is undesirable, because
achievement increases are offset by
the “altitudinal” improvements at
integrated schools.
“I’m saying that all other things
being equal, students are better off
going to school in an integrated dis
trict. If that’s not possible (as in East
Oak Cliff) then there have to be
major programmatic adjustments in
order to compensate for it,” Estes
said.
He said the study, compiled
chiefly from the results of achieve
ment tests given all DISD students
every two vears since 1972 showed
the achievement level among the
district’s 10,000 second graders has
risen significantly sinpe 1972 and
that the greatest gains have been
Texas sculptor to create
bust for Kleberg Center
A new sculpture will be added to
the Kleberg Animal and Food Sci
ence Center Soon. Texas sculptor
Electra Waggoner Biggs visited
Texas A&M University Thursday to
become better acquainted with the
future home of her sculpture of the
late Texas rancher, Robert J.
Kleberg Jr. of the King Ranch.
The Texas A&M facility was dedi
cated last spring in honor of
Kleberg, who headed the ranch op
eration for more than a half-century,
during which he developed the
Santa Gertmdis breed of beef cattle.
He was a major influence on agricul-
Shades
may save
on fuel bill
United Press International
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — A
Colorado State University professor
claims pulling down the shades at
home may do more than stop peep
ers from looking in. It also could
save some money on the fuel bill.
Craig Birdsong, assistant profes
sor of family housing with the Col
orado State University'Cooperative
Extension Service, said use of win
dow shades in a typical residence in
a moderate climate can cut as much
as 8 cents off every dollar spent for
heating, and 21 cents on cooling.
Birdsong based the findings on a
research study carried out by the Il
linois Institute of Technology. Sci
entists at the school have proved
lowered shades block out up to 54
percent of the sun’s rays and hot air
that normally enter a home through
windows in the summer.
Shades also contained up to 31
percent of the heat that normally es
capes through windows during the
winter.
“In each instance, the shades
outperformed more expensive Vene
tian blinds and draperies by a wide
margin,” Birdsong said.
Energy experts estimate as much
as half of the $30 billion spent yearly
on home cooling and heating is
wasted, partly due to heat gained in
summer or lost in winter through
windows.
“In summer, 10 times as much
heat may enter a house through a
sunlit window as through the walls
surrounding it, Birdsong said.
And in winter. Birdsong said,
heat losses were typically three to
four times greater through windows
than through adjacent walls.
“Shades (should) be raised during
the day in winter to let in sunlight
and thereby reduce demands on the
heating system,” Birdsong said. “In
turn, during cold mornings and after
dark, the shade should be drawn to
prevent interior heat from escap
ing.”
hire in general and a powerful prop
onent of wildlife conservation.
A group of Texas A&M University
dignitaries headed by Clyde H.
Wells, chairman of the Board of Re
gents, escorted Biggs on a tour of
the center in an attempt to help the
artist learn more about her subject,
a man she did not know well in life
but with whom she will become*
more familiar as her work on the
bust of Kleberg continues.
Biggs is best known in Texas for
her sculpture of Will Rogers on his
horse, which is seen by thousands of
Texans and visitors at the Will Ro
gers Coliseum in Fort Worth. Other
castings of the Will Rogers piece, as
well as busts of Presidents
Eisenhower and Truman are on dis
play around the nation and in
Europe.
Biggs is the King Ranch family’s
choice to create the bust for the
center. Wells noted.
She began her career as a sculptor
in Europe when she was 17. Her
first completed sculpture, a bust of
her maid, won her third place in a
Paris salon showing at age 20.
From that time on, her fascina
tion with both sculpture and all
parts of the casting process has
grown. While still in Europe, she
worked in a bronze foundry to bet
ter understand the process by which
her models were eventually cast’
into metal.
The artist explains that there is no
exact timetable for completion of
her bust of Kleberg, due mainly to
the impossibility of a set schedule
for her creative process and for the
work of the skilled craftsmen and ar
tists who will eventually cast the
bust in bronze.
The casting is a complicated pro
cess, she noted.
“The sculptor begins the work by
modeling in clay, and eventually
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covers that clay with plaster. The
model is then turned over to the
workmen, who cast the piece and
then return it to the artist for final
refinements and approval.
There are many steps in prepar
ing the clay. "It’s a continuous pro
cess of refining, polishing, changing
and more refining," she said.
In the case of the Kleberg bust,
Biggs faces additional problems.
She is working now with photo
graphs supplied by the King Ranch
to capture his likeness and charac
ter.
“Photographs are very often in
consistent," she said. “I have many
from different periods of his life,
showing different views and diffe
rent expression. From these varied
likenesses. I have to create a unified
believable, recognizable whole."
But Biggs admits that the chal
lenge of creating a unified, recog
nizable whole is what has kept her
interested in sculpture over the
years.
“It never ceases to be a challenge.
The feeling of accomplishment at
the various stages of completion is
well worth the effort."
Her present studio is on the
Waggoner Ranch in Vernon. Love
of ranching, said Wells, is the tie
that-binds the artist aud^ier subject
togifth^r.* 'Biggs fainily owns and'
opeVatds Tht 1 Waggoner 'Ranch in
North Texas, the nation’s largest
contiguous ranch. Kleberg spent
most of his life dedicated to the King
Ranch, the nation’s largest ranch
overall.
“Both the sculptor and the sub
ject are descendants of our nation’s
greatest ranching families, said
Wells. “It is only right that both
their works are heralded here at
Texas A&M, where we, too, are de
dicated to serving the needs of the
nation and the state.”
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PUBLIC NOTICE
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
GENERAL ELECTION NOV. 7. 1978
“The Tax Relief
Amendment”
(H.J.R. 1)
H.J.R. 1 proposes an
urt).Gndrpen.t to th^ Texas
Constitution allowing the
legislature ’to exempt in
tangible personal prop
erty, requiring the legis
lature to exempt certain
household goods and per
sonal effects, and allow
ing the legislature to
exempt all or part of the
personal property home
stead from state and local
property taxation.
The amendment re
quires the legislature to
provide for the taxation
of farm and ranch land
on the basis of its produc
tive capacity instead of
its market value and al
lows the legislature to
provide for the taxation
of timber land on its pro
ductive capacity.
The amendment per
mits local governments to
extend the present exemp
tion of not less than
$3,000 of the residence
homestead of persons 65
and older to include cer
tain disabled persons.
The amendment grants
an exemption from public
school property taxes of
$5,000 of the market value
of the residence home
stead. It authorizes the
legislature to grant an
additional exemption from
public school property
taxes of an amount not
to exceed $10,000 of the
market value of the resi
dence homesteads of per
sons 65 years of age or
older and certain disabled
persons. If a person 65
years of age or older
qualifies for this exemp
tion, the total amount of
public school taxes im
posed on that person’s
homestead may not be in
creased.
The amendment pre
vents local governments
from increasing property
taxes unless the govern
ing body provides public
notice and conducts a
public hearing. The
amendment requires the
legislature to provide by
law for each property
owner to receive notice of
the revaluation of his
property and the amount
taxes will be increased.
The amendment limits
appropriations from state
tax revenue to an amount
not to exceed Texas’ esti
mated economic growth
rate, with the legislature
authorized to make excep
tions for emergencies.
The amendment pro
hibits the statewide ap
praisal of real property
for property tax pur
poses. Enforcement of
uniform standards and
procedures for appraisal
of property for property
tax purposes is required
to originate in the taxing
authority where the prop
erty tax is imposed.
The wording of the
proposed amendment as
it will appear on the bal
lot. js as follows:.
“The constitutional
amendment providing for
tax relief for residential
homesteads, elderly per
sons, disabled persons,
and agricultural land; for
personal property exemp
tions; for truth in taxa
tion procedures, including
citizen involvement; for
a redefinition of the tax
base; for limitations on
state spending; and for
property tax administra
tion.”
NUMBER ONE
(8.J.R. 50)
S.J.R. 50 proposes an
amendment to the Texas
Constitution to delete an
archaic reference to the
“Deaf and Dumb Asy
lum.” The amendment
would allow the State of
Texas to purchase prod
ucts and services done by
handicapped individuals
in nonprofit rehabilita
tion facilities without
complying with bid re
quirements applicable to
other state contracts. The
amendment also would
eliminate the formality of
the approval of certain
state contracts by the
Governor, the Secretary
of State and the Comp
troller of Public Ac
counts.
The wording of the pro
posed amendment as it
will appear on the ballot
is as follows:
“The constitutional
amendment deleting the
archaic reference to the
‘Deaf and Dumb Asylum,’
allowing certain products
and services of handi
capped individuals to be
used by agencies and de
partments of state gov
ernment, requiring the
procurement of other
products and services re
quired in the operation of
state government to be
made under bids awarded
to the lowest responsible
bidder, making all such
procurement processes
subject to laws enacted
by the legislature, and
eliminating the require
ment that the Governor,
the Secretary of State,
and the Comptroller of
Public Accounts of Texas
be personally involved
with such transactions.”
NUMBER TWO
(S.J.R. 55)
S.J.R. 55 proposes an
amendment to the Texas
Constitution to permit
local governments to issue
bonds for the reconstruc
tion or acquisition of fa
cilities (land, equipment
and improvements) de
signed to develop employ
ment opportunities. These
bonds would be payable
solely from the revenue
from the sale or lease of
these facilities. The build
ing or acquisition of such
facilities must be deter
mined by the local gov
ernment to be necessary
to develop employment
opportunities.
The wording of the pro
posed amendment as it
will appear on the ballot
is as follows:
“The constitutional
amendment to provide
that the legislature may
permit political subdivi
sions to issue revenue
bonds to develop employ
ment opportunities for its
citizens.”
NUMBER THREE
(S.J.R. 44)
S.J.R. 44 proposes an
amendment to the Texas
Constitution which would
allow the legislature to
authorize cities and towns
to issue tax increment
bonds to finance the re
development of blighted
areas. The bonds are to
be paid solely from reve
nue from municipal tax
increments. Payment can
not be made from the
revenue of municipal
taxes, utilities, or other
services.
The wording of the pro
posed amendment as it
will appear on the ballot
is as follows:
“The constitutional
amendment to give the
legislature the power to
authorize cities and towns
to issue bonds to finance
the redevelopment of
blighted areas and pro
hibiting any city or town
from granting its money
or lending its credit for
such purposes.”
NUMBER FOUR
(S.J.R. 53)
S.J.R. 53 proposes an
amendment to the Texas
Constitution to allow the
legislature to exempt from
taxation solar or wind-
powered energy devices.
The wording of the pro
posed amendment as it
will appear on the ballot
is as follows:
“The constitutional
amendment authorizing
the legislature to exempt
from taxation solar and
wind-powered energy de
vices.”
NUMBER FIVE
(H.J.R. 37)
H.J.R. 37 proposes an
amendment to the Texas
Constitution to grant ex
clusive jurisdiction to
justices of the peace in
civil cases where the
amount in controversy
does not exceed $200, ex
cept where the legislature
gives exclusive jurisdic
tion to another court.
The amendment grants
justices of the peace con
current jurisdiction with
county courts where the
amount in controversy is
between $200 and $500,
except where the legisla
ture gives the county
court exclusive jurisdic
tion.
The amendment also
grants justices of the
peace concurrent jurisdic
tion with both county and
district courts where the
amount in controversy is
between $500 and $1,000,
except where the legisla
ture gives the county or
district court exclusive
jurisdiction.
The wording of the pro
posed amendment as it
will appear on the ballot
is as follows:
“The constitutional
amendment to extend the
jurisdiction of justices of
the peace in civil cases.”
■■ f.f' ‘A
NUMBER SIX
(S.J.R. 45)
S.J.R. 45 proposes an
amendment to the Texas
Constitution to allow the
legislature to expand the
number of judges on any
court of civil appeals.
Presently courts of civil
appeals are limited to a
chief justice and two as
sociate justices. The
amendment also would al
low the courts to sit in
sections, with the concur
rence of a majority of the
judges sitting in the sec
tion necessary to decide a
case.
The wording of the pro
posed amendment as it
will appear on the ballot
is as follows:
“The constitutional
amendment permitting
the legislature to increase
the number of justices on
a court of civil appeals,
permitting a court of civil
appeals to sit in sections,
and requiring a concur
rence of a majority of
justices to decide a case.”
NUMBER SEVEN
(S.J.R. 48)
S.J.R. 48 proposes an
amendment to the Texas
Constitution eliminating
the State Building Com
mission and the State
Building Fund. The au
thority of the State Build
ing Commission has been
transferred by law to the
State Board of Control.
The wording of the pro
posed amendment as it
will appear on the ballot
is as follows:
“The constitutional
amendment to repeal the
constitutional authority
for the State Building
Commission and the State
Building Fund.”
NUMBER EIGHT
(H.J.R. 42)
H.J.R. 42 proposes an
amendment to the Texas
Constitution allowing cer
tain political subdivisions
or districts in the state
that can presently issue
bonds or other indebted
ness or otherwise lend its
credit to engage in fire
fighting activities and to
issue bonds or otherwise
lend its credit to support
such activities.
The wording of the pro
posed amendment as it
will appear on the ballot
is as follows:
“The constitutional
amendments authorizing
certain districts to engage
in fire-fighting activities
and to issue bonds or
other indebtedness or to
issue bonds or otherwise
lend their credit for fire
fighting purposes.”
i