Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-06-11
The Chevy Chase High School.
Editor of the Montgomery County Sentinel,
Rockville, Md,

|
Rockville, Md.
Dear Sir;-ln the belief that you may
think it worth while to publish the en-
closed letter. send you the copy. 1t con-
Germs matter which is, or should be, of
interest to the entire county 1t has been
sent out to quite number Of the citizens
but should have wider circulation than
| am able to give it.
The enclosed open letter to Judge PeelIe,
Chairman of the Montgomery County School
Board, has been unanimously endorsed by
the Executive Board of the Kensington
Home and School Association and by the
kensington Chamber of Commerce, also
by the Silver Spring to Capital View Citi-
zens' Association.
1t briefly reviews the history of a con-
troversy of which most of the citizens of
the lower end of the county have some
knowledge. but which. we believe, is not
fully understood by Judge Peelle. 1t refers
only to facts which the Kensineton Home
and School Association is prepared to
sustain and which have been brought re-
peatedly to the attention of the authorities
at Rockville and Annapolis. 1t is directed
toward the correction of an abuse of power
and outlines policy which. we believe,
will result in the improvement of our
school system. 1t is not inspired by any
Jealousy of Chevy Chase. Kensington is
not asking for anything more than it de-
mands shall be given to other localities
throughout the county.
1t is sincerely hoped that you will be
sufficiently interested in this matter to
bring it to the attention of your Home and
School Association or to your local Board
of Trustees, or to both, and urge the adop-
ton Of resolutions embodying the policy
outlined in the last three paragraphs of
the letter.
These resolutions should be sent imme-
diately to Judge Stanton j. Peelle. Chair
man of the County School Board. The
writer will be glad to be notified at the
same time of action taken.
W.P. HAY.
President. Kensington Home and School
Association.
The Hon. Stanton j. Peelle. Chairman,
Montgomery County School Board.
Dear Sir In our conversation on the
way to the car after your recent visit to
kensingtOn, you will remember stated
that the citizens of Kensington regret that
h0u Int ,skI,
the citizens of Chevy Chase in the matter
of a high school. | also stated that we
believe that our position in the matter has
been misunderstood. AS there are some
of us, at least. who believe that this mis-
understanding has been purposely fostered
in the effort to becloud the real points at
issue, and as we believe that the best in
terests of education are being injured
thereby, we feel it our duty to lay our case
before you. We are impelled to do so at
this time and in this manner since we
have learned that steps are now being
taken to secure State recognition Of the
high school at Chevy Chase. which high
school. we hold. has been. now is and pro-
poses to continue to be an Illegally con-
Quoted and unnecessary addition to our
system of county schools. These conten-
tons may be untenable but we do not
think so. and until we are shown that we
are wrong we must continue to urge our
case.
Some two years ago. when the subject
of a high school for the lower end of the
county was broached by DR.. Devereux. then
Chairman of the County School Board, we
were invited to express our opinion as to
the best site for such an institution. Ac-
cordingly committee was appointed from
our Home and School Association. which
considered the matter with great care, and
in their report showed that high school
located in Kensineton would be available
to considerably more pupils than il il
were located anywhere else. This report
with the maps and other data are still
available
In the face of this report, the Kensing-
ton Home and School Association adopted
a resolution to the effect that it did not
favor the establishment of a new high
school either in Kensineton or in any other
part of Montgomery county until the exist
ing high schools and especially the grade
schools throughout the county. should have
been materially improved. To this reso-
luton we have consistently held. We
have endeavored by every means within
our power to make our position clear. and
while protesting. as we have done at vari-
GUS times. against the high school at
Chevy Chase. we have expressed willing
ness to assist our neiehboring community
in any effort it might make to secure the
grade school facilities it needs and deserves
In the face of our protest and in a man
ner which we can not help but regard as
underhand. as well as Illegal. high school
was established at Chevy Chase. To attract
pupils to it. circulars we're sent out to
parents setting forth the high qualifca-
tons Of the teachers who were employed,
the higher classes in the school at Bethesda
were discontinued and the course Of study
in the Kensington school was so changed
that entrance into the high schools Of the
District Of Columbia was made more diff
cult. A building, or an addition to the
existing grade-school building. at Chevy
Chase was turned over to the hieh-school
classes and the instruction was begun. So
far as we have been able to ascertain. the
consent Of the State Board of Education
for the establishment Of this high school
had not been obtained. II was therefore
Illegal.
To provide funds for this school an at
tempt was made to use balance which
remained from a bond issue which had
been made for other purposes When this
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