Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-09
BUSINESS HIGH SCHOOL
The Plan to Secure q New Home Meets
With Favor. .-.....--
Superintendent Powell Thinks the
District Building Well Adapted
for the Purpose.

The publication in The Star yesterday Of a
proposition which is on foot to secure the
present District building as a home for the
Business High School has attracted consid-
cradle attention throughout the city.
The Business High School is at present
located in the Miner building, corner of
18th and Madison streets. The building has
long been regarded as not the most de-
sirable for the purpose, and efforts have
been made in the past to secure more
suitable home So far these have failed,
and now the prospect Of &c ting building
which will answer the purpose for the
time being, at least, is hailed with delight
by the school authorities. In the last Con-
gress the Senate passed an appropriation TO
provide a site and building for the Bus
mess High School, but the item was shut
out in conference.
The Miner school has but fourteen rooms
counting two in the basement. and they are
not we'll arranged for school of this ma
ture. In the building which the Commits
sioners are now vacating, on the other
hand, there is a possibility Of twenty-one
rooms, large and small, as they are needed.
Superintendent Powell has made two visits
of inspection to the building lately to see
whether 1T is available for school purposes,
and while no arrangement has been made
with the owner or even discussed, Mr. row
ell is impressed with the desirabihty OF the
proposed change. and is heartily IN favor
of securing 1t, II possible.
The lease on the Miner building expires
July 1 next. and II the present District
building were secured all the needed aitera-
lions could easily be made in time for the
opening Of the next school year.
Mr.. POwelIs Ideas.
In conversation with a Star reporter this
morning Supt Powell said that. in his
opinion. there Is no comparison between
the two buildings 1.-The principal obstacle
in the way is that of rental. We are now
raying $3.50 year for the Miner build
ing, while 1 understand that the Commits
sioners have been taxed $1,000 for the build
ing on LIST street.
1.-The Miner building" he continued, sis
not well adapted for business high school
either in itself or by reason of Its location.
One objection to 1t is its remoteness from
the lines of street cars. Students who
come by the 14th street line have three
blocks to walk and those who use the Met
ropolitan road have to walk from Dupont
Circle-no small consideration in winter or
In rainy weather. On the contrary, prac-
tically all the street car lines In the city
either pass in front or within block of the
District building. By means Of transfers
pupils can come from almost any part Of
the District for one fare.
Then 1t Is fact that the southern and
southeastern parts Of the city furnish a
larger percentage of the students in this
of the city. 1t would be much more con-
venient for those on Capitol Hill, Bright
wood. Apacostia and other outlying sec
lions.
Growth of High Schools.
II think that the District building could
be altered without much difficulty. so as to
provide large room for an armory and
one for banking room, and still give sew
eral more school rooms than the Miner
building. The latter building is inadequate
for the average number of students now is
4S5. and there is every reason to believe
that 1t will go beyond 800 next year.
Besides this, its sanitary condition Is not
all that might be desired and the yentila-
ton Is not Of the best. One thing that
people do not consider is the surprising
growth of the High Schools. l thought a
couple of years ago that this had reached
Its maximum. and that the number of stu
dents would stop growing, except In pro-
portion to the growth of the, city. This Is
not the case, however: for it still keeps
way in excess of the natural growth of the
city. and we ought to have an eye for the
future,