Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-03
CHANGES IN POPULATION
Communities Show Increase of
White Children, Decrease of Colored.
OTHER SECTIONS THE REVERSE
Congestion in Certain Quarters.
Board Of Education at Work on
Annual Estimates.

Of education, 1t was learned yesterday
through authoritative sources. has under
consideration the adoption of a policy
which will permit the utilization of white
school buildings for colored schools and
vice versa where altered conditions in the
populations Of certain localities appear
10 Justify the changes being made.
r. the policy is adopted, it probably will
be put into effect Immediately, it is
stated. with respect to the Phelps School,
a white institution, located on Vermont
avenue and the Bruce School (colored),
which is located on Kenyon street, be-
tween Brightwood and Sherman avenues
northwest.
The board already is considering the
sdvisability of locating the business de-
partment of the Armstrong Manual
Training School (colored), in the Phelps
building. the white students Of the Phelps
School to be given permanent quarters in
the structure now being completed at
Eighth and T streets northwest.
Bruce Building for White Pupils.
In the event of such q course being
pursued, it is regarded practically as
certain that the school officials will con-
slider extending the principle involved so
that the Bruce building can be used as
a white school.
Changed conditions in the population of
the localities surrounding the Phelps
and Bruce schools are given as the
reason for the proposed changes. At
the time the Bruce School was built, the
majority Of the residents in that neigh
borhood We're colored. and 1t is said there
were more white persons than colored
living near the Phelps School when that
structure was erected.
Such is not the case now. The balance
of population having shifted, members
Of the board OF education believe the
designation of the Phelps building as q
colored school and the Bruce building as
a white school will meet with the ap-
proval of the majority Of the citizens who
live in the vicinities Of the respective
The board Of education is up against the
proposition of finding quarters this year
for the business department OF the Arm
strong school. This difficulty will be
decided to make a colored school Of the
Phelps building
To Relieve Congestion.
Another argument that has been ad-
vanced in favor Of the proposed change is
that tile Patterson, Garnet and Garrison
schools lcolored) which are located near
the Phelps school, are crowded, and that
provision must be made at an early date
to accommodate the overflow. The Phelps
building, it is urged, if used as a colored
school. would furnish the solution to
this problem.
dents who have been quartered in the
Phelps building. would not be apt to OBJ
Ject to the proposed change, inasmuch
as the plan contemplates locating them
in the new structure at Sth and T streets.
The Bruce building practically is new.
1t contains eight rooms and is modernly
equipped. Inasmuch as 1t is located in
section which now numbers more white
than colored residents. ii is believed, the
desrability of transferring it to white
pupils will be generally conceded.
No announcement has been made by the
board concerning where the colored stu
dents of the Bruce school will be quar-
tered. should the change be made.
Interest in Estimates.
Outside of the proposed new policy Of
the board, which. if adopted, gradually
will bring about a Encouragement of the
Districts schools to suit changes in the
populations of various localities, interest
In school affairs is now centered in the
compilation of the annual school esti-
mates. which promises to be concluded
by the middle OF this week
The ways and means committee of the
revision of the estimates, after which they
will be taken up at full meeting Of the
board. probably the succeeding day
When the revision is completed the re-
port will be submitted to the District
Commissioners.
While the estimates will not be made
public for several months, or until their
thoritatively stated that the total amount
ssked for probably will not exceed
$3.O0,OOO
The two largest items will be for COM
mencing work on the new Central High
School building and the NJ Street (coiored)
School building 1t is said that only a
part of the amounts to be expended even
tually in the construction of these build
ings will be asked for at the present
time. the object being to get the work
started without further delay.
The Central High School is to be
erected at a cost of between $5OO,OOO and
SGO,OOO and the colored school will rep
resent an expenditure Of about $25OOOO.
Probably only one-third of the total
amounts necessary for each building will
be called for at this time.
School Near Soldiers Home.
Another item. which practically is GER
tain of being included in the estimates,
VIII call for an appropriation with which
10 build a school near the Soldiers
Home. in the Park View neighborhood.
Last year the appropriation bill provid-
60 Tor this Improvement, but the item of
soo.VW Tailed to get the sanction of Con-
kress Recently the Park View Citizens
Association addressed a communication
10 the board of education on the subject.
requesting that every effort be made 10
secure the appropriation at the next ses-
sion.
NO section OF the District has as limit
ca schooi facilities as the Park View
neighborhood, its residents assert. II IS
said that there are more than 600 chill
dren living In this area who are com
PEELED to go long distances in order to
attend schooi. the nearest buildings being
the Monroe, Hubbard and Petworth.
President j. G. McGrath of the Park
View Association announced yesterday
that the association is planning to peti-
tfon Congress TO include the item for the
Park View School in the next appropria-
tion act.
Announcement that the HiIlsdale School
near Anacostia- Is to be abandoned means
that the board of education has both 3
present and a future problem to meet in
connection with that institution 1t is
likely that the estimates will have a
bearing on the solution of the latter