Evening star., 1886-11-27
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Fifteen New Buildings Needed at the
Opening of the Next school Year.

4
| VENTILATED EASEMENTS.
| At a meeting last mig hit of the board of school
| trustees the annual report of the board for the
| year ending June 30th, 1856, drawn up by a
committee composed of the president OF the
| board. Mr.. Darlington. and Trustees Francis
and Wilmer, was read and adopted. This re-
| port will be sent TO the Commissioners trans
| mitting the statistical reports of Supernten-
| dents Powell and Cook. The trustees say: "The
most serious disclosure made by these reports
| and the one which, above all Others, the board
| desires at this time to call to your attention,
and through you to the consideration of Con-
gress, is that of the startling inadequacy of the
school room accommodation afforded the chill
/ dTen OF this District. In the first place IL is
/ shown that the Easements of eight of our
pubic school buildings are under tile pressure
of absolute necessity crowded with children.
/ No one OF these easements was ever intended
| for any such purpose, and every one OF them is
wholly unfit for it. As stated by the superin-
| tendents, they are dark, damp and incapable of
| proper heating or proper vertilation-so dark
/ ihat on many days IN the year the schools must
| be dismissed because the children cannot see
/ to read their lessons. No member of Congress
would consent TO the use OF such rooms for his
| committee, or for any other purpose which
would require him to pass the work ing hours of
! the day in them; and no member, we are conf
| dent, would be willing to condemn the imma-
/ ture bodies of little school children to condi-
| lions, sanitary or otherwise, SO unfavorabIe.
HALF DAY SCHOOLS.
But, in the second place. these reports show
! that, even after resort to these Easements and
[ TO the thirty-nine unsuitable rented school
| rooms, 9,l2O children, more than one-third
/ OF the entire attendance, were restricted to
halliday schools last year, for the simple reason
that the total seating capacity provided for the
I accommodation of pupils, these Objectionable
Inahe-shiftS included lett ,otj0 chiiaren wholly
unprovided for, and compelled The unseatng
/ OF tnat many other pupils Tor One-half of each
day throughout the school year. in order that
/ the hFst-n.tIned might not be wholly excluded
| rom the benefit of the schools. And the sta
IlstIcs Tor The current year included in the two
! reports show that the mum ber OF children whose
common school opportunities are thus dwayfed
and mutilated il now increased TO more than
twelve thousand. The discouraging not
TO say alarming, tendency of these unfor-
iunate @ fsures and facts is heightened
when viewed in connection with the
report OF Superintendent Cook. That re-
port shows that the entire school life OF nearly
Iour-htths the coored children of this District
comprises only the first tour grades-the very
grades in which resort to this halliday system
has been compelled, as the only alternative
against denyln any educational opportunities
Whatever 10 thousands OF the little applicants
In other words, mere failure 10 supply sufficient
school rooms to hold them is deprivinc a very
large proportion OF the children most dependent
upon the public schools OF One-half OF their
| whole school lille. 1t Will be observed that
- THIS UNHAPPY RESULT
flows solely from the failure to supply ADEQUATE
school room accommodation. We have teach
ers enough tor all the schools. and if we had as
many school rooms as are needed each of these
twelve thousand children could receive the
| benefit OF I. tuil days school without the en-
pIoyment OF IL single additional teacher or the
expenditure of Il single additional dollar Tor
teachers salaries. We occupy precisely the at
lltude, from business standpoint, OF en-
pioYer who finds IL necessary TO engage and paw
The wages of a. thousand skilled employes out
who receives the benefit OF only half days labor
from a third OF their number, because of his own
refusal 10 provide working room for them ali.
No 8ntelligent or civilized community, entrust-
ed WITH the management OF its own affairs,
would tolerate the condition of things here set
iorth, ana no member OF Congress IN either OF
its branches, it is confidently believed would
willingly be responsible for its continuance.
III IS for these reasons that we have
deemed IL proper to call attention plainly
10 the facts as they actually exist.
some appropriation is annually made for
Increasing our public school accommodation
but such increase has failed to keep pace with
The largely Increased attendance of pupils; and
IN view oil the actual situation, as presented in
these reports of the superintendent every con-
sideration OF humanity, public spirit and prac-
tlcaI business common sense would seem to
call Tor such immediate and radical enlarge
ment OF those accommodations as the mum Der
OF pupils now in attendance requires. We have
IN actual attendance about 1000 pupils in
excess OF the seating capacity provided, the
easements and rented school rooms all in
Guided Zach teacher with is entrusted
Win about nifty pupils, so that, retaining the
easements and rented buildings, we actually
need, at the present time,
ONE HUNDRED ADDITIONAL SCHOOL ROOMS
The attendance for the present year is nearly
ten per centum greater than that of last year,
which in turn was perhaps correspondingly
greater than that of the preceding wear At
least hiteen new school buildings, with az
average OF ten school rooms To each building
Will be needed at the opening OF the next school
year 10 accommodate the children VINO will
apply for admission, if the easements and
rented buildings are vacated, as they ought 10
be; and unless, through the efforts OF the Conn
nlsslollers anu the action OF Congress those
buildings, or their equivalent, is provided, the
~nttle ~ ones must continue TO be crowded into
places absolutely unfit for the purpose, and the
halliday system Will have to be extended into
the NTH grade, and possibly into the sixth
we earnestly and urgently present this most
important matter to your attention and
through you 10 that OF Congress, with the hope
and request that no effort will be spared 10
secure speedily provision for this, the over
shadCwing necessity of the public schools at
this time.
CoLoRED HIGH AND NORMAL SCHOOLS
Your attention is also invited to the recon-
mendation OF Superintendent Cook with refer
ence to a new building Tor the coored High
school The building at present used in mar,
foi the purposes OF this schoot is unfortunate i'm
It's location, lily adapted to the purpose and is
moreover, needed TO supply the wants of the
of lower grade. a High school building com
pairing faVorably in advantages OF lOction and
aiI. appoiiitiilen.s I. with the asnington High
scnool, due regard, of course, being had 10 the
comparative attendance, is needed by The col
ored youth Of the District and should be ac-
corded them. Ihe announced Withdrawal of
the trustees of the Miner fund iroiu the ar
raDSement which has heretofore given us the
Miner Normal school, referred TO in the report
OF superintendent Cook, also makes ii neces-
sary 10 include in The estimates for the ensuing
year adequate provision for Normal school
Tor The seventh and eighth divisions.
THE WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL
Your attention is also invited to the i'm pera.
tive necessity OF enlarginy the Washinaton
High school. AS shown by the report OF Super
lntendent Powell, the present High school
building i crowded to its utmost Capacity and
Win a largely Increased attendance over THAT
Oh last year II. the schools o.. the eighth grade
III necessarily follows either that the capacity of
.iIat ou.idihS must De enlarged before the open-
Ing OF The next school year, or that a large nnu,
Der OF pupils entitled TO admission there must
De excluded for want of accommodations The
latter alternative is which ill Justice To ne
youth OF the District and to the community
every effort, IL Is hoped, Will be exerted to
avert" ~
The Superintendents' Reports.
Ihe annual reports of Superintendents Powell
ana COOK VIII accompany the report of the
school trustees to the Commissioners The re
port shows that the total enrolment of pupils f,r
the year was 81, ,336-in the White schools %
696, and in the Ct lored schools i Gao 1'hara
are 63 school buildings containing 40 rooms
owned by the District, and 1 : rented buiidinoS
with 80 rooms. This Is exclusive of the white
Hlgh school. The report of Superintendent
COOK OF the coIored schools states that almost
ioui-hiths oi tne pupils enrolled in the colored
schools were IN the first four grades The dis
parity IN the enrolment OF BOYS when COM.
pared with that OF girls is very marked after
the fourth grade. '
superintendent Cook devotes some snoce
In his report To the discussion or infuS
trial education. In his opinion the exnense
that would be necessary Tor The elnplovment
Oh Il speciai teacher i'll sewing W WOuId be in