The Washington times., 1907-09-26
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2s. 1907
The Trouble at Mckinley.

at the Mckinley Manual Training
School.
The plan Of the superintendent
was to distribute the first year class
and its teachers among the three
other white high schools This
would preclude any unity or coop
GRAFTON among them, would deprive
the pupils OF their first year of
bench work and technical training,
and would confuse their three re-
naming years even if room be
found for them at Mckinley next
September. Its one justification
was that it divided the overflow
among the greatest possible num-
Der of schools and so made as little
overcrOwding as the conditions
could be made to permit.
4 better plan is to shift as many
academic and scientific students as
possible from the Central High
School to the Eastern and Western,
then to enlarge all the classes in
the Central and Commercial, so as
to vacate at least three or four
rooms in each of those two build
ings. Thereby the crowding would
be divided among three high
schools instead of four, but room
would be obtained for the Mckinley
classes in two buildings within
practical reach of their shops,
drawing rooms. and other special
equipment. The effect would be
not greatly to increase the demand
upon either the Central or the
other two academic high schools,
to leave the Commercial in about
the situation it was last year, and
TO save for the Mckinley its first
year class as a homogeneous, uni
fed. specially trained body of stu
dents pursuing the course on which
they and their parents had deter
mined
This solution has now been approx
ed by the members of the Board of
Education separately and ordered
oy the superintendent with every
satisfaction in plan which will en-
able him to keep intact this most
important class at a school in which
his interest is especially keen.
Now-as to the blame for so
acute and costly a situation Some
body is responsible for the erection
of school buildings in the District
of Columbia. That somebody has
had available for fifteen months
S135.OOO. While not enough to cure
the difficulty, that is yet sum suf-
ficient to build considerable addi-
ton and by so much decrease the
pressure which was great enough
last year and, as everyone concern
ed must have known, would be
greater this year.
Save for the selection of a site
and a general statement as to
needs, the responsibility for build
ing school houses according to ap-
preparations made by Congress
rests with the District Commission
ers. In this case, it is said in their
behalf, they we're delayed three
months, by the Board of Education.
But three months is not fifteen
months, and the Board of Educa-
tion does not acquiesce at all in the
statement that il caused any such
delay. The more potent factor. it
seems, was the inability of the
Commissioners to construct for
$1s5,000 such an addition to the Nc
kinley School as was required bv
proper regard for the main building
and the future needs of the school.
If that proves 10 be the cause of
this delay it is for the parents to
determine, in the light of ali the
facts as they shall hereafter be dis
closed. whether or not the Com
missioners chose wisely. Every
consideration of fairness and public
interest demands, therefore, that
the facts shall be brought to light
Immediately.