I’m curious about something that I remember from attending elementary school in San Francisco in the early 1960s.
At the beginning of every semester, our parents had to fill out a short questionnaire that included “are you an active member of the U.S. military?” and “do you work for ____ Steel?” It was either Bethlehem Steel or U.S. Steel (or both). The form didn’t specify why they wanted this information, but one teacher said it affected the funding the school received. I don’t know if this questionnaire was only for San Francisco, or nation-wide.
I can guess at some reasons why the schools would receive extra funding for the children of military, but the part about the steel companies puzzles me. What was going on in the 1960s that would cause the government to allocate more funds for the children of employees in private industry?
There’s no point in asking SF’s Board of Education about it; all the teachers and administrators from that time have retired years ago. I figure that some of you may have been in school then.
Janet
Replies
Strange questions
What strange questions to ask, even for the SFBOE. But, there were lots of changes being made in school funding during the '60s, so extra money for military and/or steel workers wouldn't surpise me. Especially considering all of the steel mills in San Francisco. ;-)
FWIW, I wasn't in school then. I was in the military during the '60s. So, don't ask me about flower children and protests. ;-)
Strange questions are my métier! The Internet came along at just the right time
My take on the military part: The Presidio was an active base then, and the people living there did not have to pay the property taxes that funded education. Thus the school system received extra funding for educating their children. But that's just a guess.
RalphBarker wrote:
...considering all of the steel mills in San Francisco.
Well, that's what puzzled me. These companies have their factories in Pennsylvania, not San Francisco.
Last weekend we drove to Gallaudet University in DC to pick up our daughter from her summer program (intensive American Sign Language. One of the first things she learned to sign was "The weather is so HOT!").
We also met up with a cousin who took us to the FDR and Air Force memorials, which reminded me to ask my questions about educational funding. He thinks the steel companies were included because they were part of the defense effort. "They probably ran shipyards in the Bay Area." Seems a likely reason.
Janet
Shipyards might be the connection. Mare Island, northeast of SF, was an important one back then.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mare_Island
This is the dry dock at which missiles were loaded onto nuclear subs. The crane is rumored to glow at night. ;-)
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