J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                      961

supplement the financing of the construction of public school build-
ings and public school facilities, and to supplement the cost of the
acquisition of such real estate as may be required in connection
therewith by each of the counties in this State and by the Mayor
and City Council of Baltimore. Such financial assistance shall be
granted for the purposes stated hereinabove to each of the counties
in this State and to the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore upon
the following terms and conditions:

(a)  Whenever any county or the City of Baltimore desires to
participate in the financial assistance which is provided for under
the terms and conditions of this Act, said county or city, as the case
may be, shall certify a statement to the State Board of Education
showing: (1) the number, class, type and character of all public
school buildings or public school facilities required by the said
county or the said city for which funds are currently unavailable;
(2) the amount, type and character of real estate necessary in con-
junction therewith; (3) the total estimated cost of said school
buildings, school facilities and real estate; (4) the total issued and
outstanding bonded indebtedness of said county or city; (5) the
total assessable taxable basis of said county or city as determined
on the last preceding date of finality; and (6) such other information
as may be required by regulations passed by the State Board of
Education.

(b)  Upon receipt of the certified statement as specified in sub-
paragraph (a) of this sub-section, the State Board of Education shall
make a written finding of fact which shall be addressed to the Board
of Public Works, said finding of fact to be in the form of a recom-
mendation to the Board of Public Works, advising said Board which
of the requests for financial assistance made by any of the counties
or made by the City of Baltimore, as aforesaid, should be allowed and
which of such requests for financial assistance should be denied.
In making the aforesaid finding of fact, the State Board of Education
shall, at the request of the Board of Public Works, determine a
priority of need for school buildings as between any county in the
State or as between any county in the State and the City of Balti-
more. No grant of financial assistance as provided for in this Act
shall be allowed until such grant has been finally ratified and ap-
proved by the Board of Public Works. The decision of the Board of
Public Works in this regard shall be in such form as the said Board
shall deem advisable and proper and shall be final and conclusive
upon all parties concerned.

(c)   The amount of financial assistance granted to any county
or to the City of Baltimore under the terms and conditions of this
Act shall in no case exceed an amount calculated as follows:

(1)  There shall first be determined and allocated to each county
which applies for financial assistance under this Act or to the City
of Baltimore if said city applies for financial assistance under this
Act an amount equal to ninety percent (90%) of the total funds
distributed to said county or to said city, as the case may be, under
applicable provisions of State law relating to the income tax, the tax
on racing, the recordation tax, the tax on amusements, the license
tax and the incentive fund for school buildings.

(2)   There shall next be determined the total amount of State
debt which could be serviced at prevailing debt service cost by the