Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-07
VIEWS OF Mr.. STUART
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
EXPLAINS SITUATION.

In connection with the leading clause In
the bill reported by the District House
committee to fix and regulate the salaries
of teachers. school officers and other en-
ployes OF the Board OF Education OF the
District that on and after July l. 1908. all
children Of school age being Instructed IN
the schools of the District beyond the
second grade shall be given whole day
session. the superintendent of schools. Mr..
A. r. Stuart. gave to a Star reporter
general explanation of the situation.
SCHOOLS" Mr. Stuart said, which would
be affected by the enactment of the law
are those of the third and fourth grades,
There are at present forty-eight such half
day schools In the District These are
scattered throughout the system In the
thirteen divisions the greatest number De-
ing found in the fifth division. or George
town. and the thirteenth, or colored divi-
aonly four OF the forty-eight halliday
schools are of the fourth grade. All tho
remainder are of the third grade. and are
about evenly divided between the white
and coIored schools. The four halliday
classes of the fourth grade are all In South
Washington, and the completion OF the new
Cordozo building, l street between Hair
and 1st streets southwest. will relieve that
situation.
Finding Room Is the Problem.
1.-The whole problem, Mr.. Stuart added.
is one of finding rooms. In Georgetown
also the completion of the Anthony Hyde
building will free rooms In that section.
Both the Cordozo and the Hyde buildings
will be ready early in the fall, and there
is an unused room at present In both the
Ross and the Blow schools recently dedt-
Gated The building of the new union
station has caused so many families to
move from that quarter that the enroll
ment Of the Gales School has greatly de-
nr1-ftf ncy N
consideration 1t will be impossible, with
the present school facilities, to provide
space for these schools. Rooms will have
to be rented and funds supplied.
Mr.. Stuart estimates that at least twenty
four rooms will be needed, and he stated
that the law will affect at least 1898 pupils
upon the rolls at present. Upon being re-
minded of the probable passage OF the COM
pulsory education BILL Mr.. Stuart express
ed himself unable to tell what the re-
suits might be.
education bill may mean is a matter OF
pure speculation, he said. The police
census gave the number of children on the
streets as I'LL The Civic Center orgahiZa-
ton placed them at 1900. The truth must
be somewhat between these numbers, and.
as | am heartily In favor of compulsory
education. l have said the only thing TO
do will be to pass the law and then take
care of the children that come in 1t Is
good to have these matters part of the
organic law.
Two Requirements.
.@These two requirements will certainly
demand more rooms, more teachers and
larger equipment.
With respect to the other features of the
new bill Mr.. Stuart said he hardly cared
to express himself. as he had not seen a
copy OF the revised BILL
The enlargement of the board of educa-
ton to nine members, three of whom
to be coiored and three women to serve
only three years instead of seven. and
without pay caused little comment today
among teachers. Every one seemed pleased
with the liberal increases in the salary
scheduled.
1ne exact relations of the changes in SUI
pervision by which the cofored schools are
placed under the cole charge of the assist
ant superintendent and the director of high
school given charge over the academic and
scientific branches in the Mckinley Man
ual Training. are not clear as yet in the
minds of school officials, but are under
stood to meet with general approval.
Mr. Stuart seemed to be interested par
ticularly in the exact amount of definition
which the bin makes of the duties of the
board the superintendent and the new
officer. the superintendent of buildings and
supplies But the impression created was
that the concentration of the educational
features upon the superintendent is dis