Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-13
OuT-OF-TOWN PUPILS
Superintendent Powell Suggests o
Nominal Charge for Non-Residenta
HONEY FOR 4 LIBRARY FUND
The Difficulty in Enforcing Strictly
the Provisions of the Law.
THE QUESTION OF EXPENSE.

only taken advantage Of by Warrington
ians. but numbers of non-residents Of the
District also use them as a medium for
educating their children. There are now IN
attendance On the Washington public
schools ovec four hundred children who not
only do not reside In the District but have
no connection with 1t. with the exception
that they get their education here.
That this Is In direct violation Of the or
dinances governing public schools Of the
District was admitted both at the Com
missioners offices and by the superintendent
of public schools. The law on the subject
provides that every pupil In attendance on
the public schools Of the District shall be
either the ward or child of some resident
Of the District Notwithstanding the clear
ness Of this law IL is daily being violated
and IL ts claimed by those In authority that
there 10 no remedy for this violation.
There are In the District 100 schools main
tanned by the taxpayers Of the District.
az Of whom are non-residents. Some two
years ago the attention Of Congress was
caueo 70 this violation and a statistical re-
Port called for by them This report show
nonresident pupils receiving their educa-
tfon at the expense Of the District tax pay
erA The Investigation by Congress died
2 natural death and nothing was ever
A Star reporters attention was attracted
several mornings since TO the large number
Of school children who arrived on the morn
ing trains from Virginia and MARYLAND and
upon interviewing q group of them II was
1ouno tnat they were pupils Of the High
school In order to obtain admission to
the schools here II Is necessary for the
paper stating that he or she as the case
may be H. bona fide citizen Of the istrict
OF Columbia This. 1t Is said, they sign
though the principal of the school NAV
know positively that the statement in un-
True. no acton Is ever taken
Superintendent Powel'a Views.
Superintendent OF Schools Powell, when
approached on the subject, stated that II
was a weh-known fact among those In
authority that these pupils were in attend
ance on the schools here But" said he.
what are you going to do If there Is room
Ior them and they apply for admission?
On more than one occasion nonresident
pupils have been refused admission to the
schools. and they succeeded In interesting
their Congressman In their behalf and the
consequence was they were admitted. 1t
can De readily seen that Ii would be unjust
TO discriminate between those who have
influence and those who have not. and thus
oeoar q number Of children from receiving
education. which In after years proves most
beneficial TO them I take the view OF the
question that as long as no one else Ia dis
commoded they should be permitted to at
tend our schools I think. however, that
they should be charged a nominal sum for
the privilege. about equal to the average
expenditure ON the education Of each pupil.
E Last session the cost was sz2D per capita.
-Four hundred and thirty-two pupils at sn
average cost OF Sz.E. would amount to
sS.SSA Or. In other words, the District is
virtually called upon to pay out annually
81 a g.
children whose parents are residents and
probably taxpayers elsewhere. Literally
tne expenditure on account Of these addi-
tionai pupils Is nothing. as their being in
ment Of . single additional teacher There
may be some little expense attached to
their being I'm the class rooms. II the
amount OF paper used by them b taken
Item that hardly any grounds for an ex-
pense item could be found therein.
To Msintafn . Library, -.
Now, II q nominal charge were made far
Zach nonresident pupil. and the receipts
therefrom appropriated for the purchase
md maintenance Of q library for the use
Of the pupils. I consider that the question
would be solved In most acceptabls man.
Ier to all parties concerned. I am sure
that the parents Of the children would not
object to paying a small amount for the
privilege Of sending their children to such
thorough schools. and the school system
would be very materially benefited thereby.
snrfchins the minds OF the pupils. and all
the latest publications could thus be kept
at hand. Literature Of a higher order
could be furnished the pupil: for reading
matter, and their tastes would be thus cul-
tivated for the higher branches Of Htera-
ture. rather than for trashy novels This
project would. Of course. have to be adopted
by Congress before 1t could be put into
effect. and hope that The Star viii see At
TO agftate the question at some length and.
II possible to do 50. bring about the desired
result The plan II In accordance with the
scheme which The Star has been a9itatin0
Tor some ttme-namely, to provide reading
matter Of an e4evating character for dis
u1outton among the poorer classes free of
an charge While mine is not the exact
plan advocated by The Star. 1t will tend to
the same result. az by this plan not only
the present generation will be benefited.
out posterity will also.
Little Actual Expense.
"One would naturally ask how we can
sducate over 100 pupils without incurrine anv
additional expense. This statement ia very
easily explained. We have In the schools
pupils from all sections adjacent to the
District They come from Aiexandrta.
aesnoon ana all intermediate points in vir-
elnfa. and every railroad and county road
n Maryland sends Its quota Of pupils. The
xact that they come from such scattered
sections OF the country around washington
allows US to scatter them about among the
various schools. and probably only one or
Swo are to be found In each school. There
are. of course. exceptions to this rule Take
Tor instance. the High School / SUPPOSE
more nonresident pupils may be found
tnere than at any Of the other schools In
the District The schools are not over
crowded. however. and there is no immedi-
Ate necessity for action In one school I
Know of. on the border Of the District near
the Conduit road. there are forty pupils:
fully one half Of these pupils are residents
OF Maryland All of the Districts pupils
residing In that section are accommodated
mere and there Is an abundance of room
Tor the non-restdents- I consider that IL
would be unjust to debar them, for n that
were done they would have to travel at
least six miles In order to find another
school to attend. A large majority of the
pupils. VINO are classed as children of nom
residents. probably sixty per cent of them.
are children Of people who live on the OUT
skirts of the District and do business in the
city. They may not all be tax payers, but
some Of them. / suppose, are. According to
. strict Interpretation OF the law they would
not be entitled to admission to the schools
but In equity I think they should be- /
admit that the law ought to be enforced on
this subject. but until some action Is taken
by Congress-. or until some remedy is offered
a. substitute. nothing can be done
The Commissioners, / am sure would
"a