National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-02-14
SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
The E1aa OF REORGANIZATION Advocated
by Twenty-four EK-Trustees.

The following memorial, signed by ex-
School Trstecs is to be presented to Congress to-
day:
Your memoralists, cx-TrlIstees Of Public
Schools of the District Of Columbia, respectfully
represent:
printed, Section 24l, providing for separating the
District into school divisions, and for representa-
ton tkerefrom on the school board, Is objection
able because of great inequality.
The first division, Georgetown, contains thirty
schools; the second division. west half of Wash
ington, contains eighty schools; the third diyi-
Sion east half of Washington contains log schools
and the fourth division, CniOntown, contains
nine schools; while the existing seventh division,
colored schools, is not provided for at all.
The UniOntown division is to have equal repre-
sentation on the School Board with the others,
each TO have at least one trustee Then the ap-
pointing power is to name the other fifteen trustees
where it pleaSeS, and, of course. may name them
all from Georgetown or all from UniOntown.
Your memOrialists also object to the provision
which leaves the number of school trustees in
definite, not more than nineteen nor less than
five" 1t introduces an element of uncertainty
into the management of school affairs, which We
think should be carefully guarded against.
Your memOrialiStS have learned from newspaper
reports of proceedings of late meeting of the
present school trustees that THEY consent, or ma
jority of those present consented to the divisions
proposed in the Senate amendment, as printed in
the bill, with the addition of fifth division for the
colored schools but suggesting that the number OF
trustees be definitely fixed at eleven, two from
vi IiSL lDLoC HUM
fifth division.
The objection OF inequality applies even more
strongly TO this proposition than TO the other Ii
gives to the two suburbs, Georgetown and Union
town, with only thirty mine schools, equal repre-
sentation on the school board with the two great
city divisions having 2S9 schools Of course the
colored schools, being III division by themselves,
are not included III this statement.
Such discrimination against the people of Wash
ington in favor of Georgetown and UniontoTn we
believe will tend to promote discomfort and do
harm to the schools.
We think fair way 10 reduce the membership
of the school board, certainly fair TO Georgetown
and the county, would be to leave the school diyi
Sicns as they nov are and reduce the number OF
trustees in the five city divisions from two TO one
each; and the number in the sixth division,
county, from five members to two; and the num-
Der in the seventh division, cO0red schools of the
two cities, from foFsfto two members-in all nine
members.
The eX-trusteeS who have signed the paper are
Messrs. \. c. Richards, George White, George ".
Dyer, s. Wolf Is. Robinson, A. Hart, Joseph NJ.
Wilson, A. VI. Scott. r. B. Derrick, Henry Johnson,
Edward Baldwin, NJ. Lawrence, Charles f. Hoyey,
r. B. Ferguson, William B. Moore, f. Champlin,
Thomas Someryile, Fred. ". AfOfat, Thomas B.
Marche, Z. +. French, Isaac N Cary, John Ran
dolph, L. c. Ford, and John W. Clark.
Messrs. John II. Brooks, b. G. LOyejoy, and 7. A.
Lambert also concur in the recommendations in
the memorial, the former holding that the plan
proposed would secure pro rata rcpr csentation
to the colo red schools.