Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-16
Commissioners Satisfied With the
Present School Board.
PROPOSED INCREASE OF The NUMBER
The Present Trustees Believed to
Have Too Much to Do.
MATTERS FOR CONGRESS

Two important matters have been agreed
upon by the Commissioners affecting the
public schools Of Washington. First, the
present board of school trustees will be re-
tained for another term, and second, Con-
gress will be urged at it's next session to
increase the number Of trustees.
The terms Of all the public school trustees
expired on the 18th Of September. The pub
lie was daily watching and waiting for the
Commissioners to make the new appoint
ments. and 1t was not until The Star pub
lished the fact that the Commissioners had
passed an order continuing the board in
Office until such time as they could deal
with the question that anything positive
V as known Of the situation.
In the meantime, friends Of those who
wanted to serve as trustees, and friends Of
the incumbents who desired to be reap
pointed, waited upon the Commissioners
and presented petitions and letters urging
the respective merits of their friends. A
public hearing was given, at which the
Commissioners listened to eulogies of the
candidates from their friends, and finally
took the matter under consideration.
And so 1t has remained until recently,
when, 1t Is understood. the Commissioners
decided, that in view of the excellent work
done by the several trustees in the past, no
over order still to remain in force. This
practically disposes of the subject, for 1t is
authoritatively stated that no changes will
be made.
To Increase the Number.
But there is another important matter in
this connection which will receive the earn
est support of the Commissioners before
Congress. For some time it has been real
lied that the number Of trustees was in
adequate, and statistics have been prepared
showir what large field the present small
force of trustees has to cover. The result
has been that it was out of the question for
the trustees to completely cover the work of
inspection assigned to them. According to
the present arrangement the city is divided
into eight school districts. There are 80
school buildings occupied by 4O,67S school
children. 1t requires 042 teachers to run
these schools. There are IL trustees in all
to supervise and inspect these schools. Mr..
J. ]. Darlington looks after the first district,
which contains eight public school buildings;
Mr.. George H. Harries attends to the wants
of the second district, which contains fifteen
school buildings: Mr.. James w. Whelpley
has charge of the third district, and ten
school Buildings are included therein. The
fourth district, with six buildings, is looked
after by DR.. d. H. Hazen. Then comes the
fifth district, with nine buildings, under the
trusteeship of Mr.. Jesse H. Wilson. DIR. A.
II. w tuner Is trustee OF the SlXtn division,
and he has twenty-six schools under him.
The seventh division is looked after by Mr..
B. K. Bruce, and the eighth division is
divided into two sections. 1t contains
fourteen school buildings, eight of which
Mr.. Louis A. Cornish attends to, and
the remaining six fall to the care of
DR.. F. ]. Shadd For the first six white
school divisions Mrs. Louise r. Stowell is
the lady trustee, and Mrs. Mary c. Terrell
attends to the seventh and eighth divisions
Some of the districts are overcrowded
with schools. and one trustee is regarded as
ins efficient. Then new buildings are being
erected all the time. There are five new ones
row under construction, two of which are
in the sixth district, two in the eighth and
one in the fourth. Then the sixth district
which is by large majority the largest IN
the city, is to nave four of it's school build
ings enlarged during the present year.
1t Is understood that the Commissioners
will ask that the number of trustees be
increased to fifteen. This will give four
additional trustees. and if Congress grants
the Commissioners authority to appoint
them the vacancies will be filled without
delay.