Cambridge Committee Denies Funds To Three Phillips Brooks Projects

Cambridge virtually eliminated last night three Phillips Brooks House tutoring projects and the Teachers Aid Program from its "war on poverty" for the current fiscal years.

A special education task force of the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee decided to recommend a pre-school program and a project for the mentally retarded as the only educational programs to be funded under Title II of the Anti-Poverty Act. The recommendation is almost certain to be approved by the CEOC's full board of directors and then sent them on to Washington.

Cambridge had originally included the PBH projects and the TAP in a $342,000 proposal to Washington. But federal of ficials informed the City that it could spend no more than $100,000 on educational programs, thus forcing a choice among eight different school proposals After polling local planning teams, the take force simply decided against the TAP and PBH programs.

"We must establish priorities--it's an extremely painful and difficult process," William Bowman, associate director of CEOC, commented at the meeting.

School Department Review

It is still possible that the two Harvard programs could be financed under the Elementary and Secondary School Act. Cambridge will receive approximately $260,000 under this law, and David E. Hockman, assistant superintendent of schools and a member of the CEOC, said last night that all rejected anti-poverty proposals will be reviewed by the School Department.

But Hockman cautioned that "there are other proposals that we have to consider."

PBH actually has mixed feelings about the proposed tutoring projects. Although it would like to staff the programs, some PBH members have double about finding the necessary 150 additional tutors. PBH does not want to divert manpower from established programs.

Despite the dropping of the PBH tutoring programs, one special tutoring project was tentatively approved last night. A special project for one anti-poverty area was presented to the educational task force by William J. Mangan '66, who lives in the area and represents his local planning team. Funds for this program will be applied for under a special part of the anti-poverty act that supports demonstration projects.