Evening star., 1919-09-22
SCHOOLS OF CITY
. BEGIN YEAR WITH
BIG ENROLMENT
Old Records May Be Passed
by Number of Pupils in
Grade Classes.
HIGH SCHOOLS CROWDED..
JUNIOR HIGH LAUNCHED
Board of Education Successful in
Filling Teacher Positions in
Every Branch of Work.

Every Branch of Work.
The public schools of Washington
opened at o'clock this morning with
long lines of children at every build
ing waiting to be enrolled. Early in
dications were that last years first
day attendance of $4,000 would be
equaled. IL not surpassed.
Indications were that the records
would be passed in the graded schools
with the enrolment of afternoon
classes.
Basing their figures on certain
schools Of their divisions. the super
vising principals made rough esti-
mates Of their territories as follows:
Third division, $500: fourth division,
5000; NTH division. 5000; sixth divi-
sion. S,400: seventh division. 5000;
eighth division. $500: tenth division,
5000; eleventh division. $500, and
thirteenth division. 1000.
Unomcial estimates placed the days
enrolment at the first division at ap-
proximately 5000; in the twelfth divi-
sion at $500 and in the ninth division
at 5000.
Report Large Increases.
Large increases are reported in Pet
worth, Park View and Takoma Park
schools. Throughout the graded
schools the initial attendance has in
creased in number over last year. with
few exceptions. although the report
ed increases are not in ratio with the
Increased population. This Is taken to
indicate that families in general did
not move here when a person came to
this city for war work.
There is no second division. This
division was merged with the first
division some years ago.
Although the board Of education
hne
ing teachers during the summer.
Supt. of Schools Thurston announced
that he had been able to place a
teacher in every classroom today. He
will continue. however. to seek appli-
cants in anticipation of the usual
number Of designations Of teachers
during the year.
One of the most interesting facts
in connection with the opening was
the lsrss yomssr Of pupils WHO , sp-
/ ing. 7th and o streets. to enroll in
the Junior High School. which 10
being given trial In Washington
| this year.
clude the work Of the seventh and
| eighth grades and the first year OF
| high school, but the studies will be
arranged SO that the pupils may con-
! centrate on the subjects most closely
related to the vocation they have
Miss Alice Deal. principal of the
Junior. was kept busy all day en-
rolling applicants. Enrolment will
continue all this week and the classes
probably will start October l.
At noon Supt. Thurston left his
ONCE in the Franklin building and
made a tour of the schools to observe
| conditions and see If any of the
SCHOOLS expect to have = more children
Forty Of the portable buildings ap-
propriated for by Congress are open
today and are expected to relieve the
schools that were congested for space
last year. Twenty more portables are
ready by December.
| Early indications we're that the high
(! schools also will be taxed to their ca
pacities again this year. At Central
alone between $50 and 500 new pupils
appeared this morning from the grade
schools for admission to the first year
of high.
| That Washington mas far from re-
turned to its pre-war population was
reflected in the attendance at the
schools today. That many men who
came to Washington during the war
to work for the government are now
moving their families to Washington
and settling here has been indicated
for a week by the large number of
out t.of.town girls and boys WHO have
\
sion to the local high schools. The
number CT such applications so far is
40.
Schoo; officials pointed out that to-
days enrolment is not a sure cri-
terion Of the number Of children the
public schools will have to handle
during the year. for it is the expe-
rience Of thes. officials that children
continue to st-aggle in throughout
October. The peak attendance is not
usually reached until November.
High School Lists Large.
High school lists today showed
larger enrollments on the whole than
was the case at this time last year.
No formal exercises were held at the
most cases principals gathered the
freshmen together and told them of
their duties to the school and to their
pupils were dismissed and told to
come back tomorrow morning ready
for real work.
The largest enrolment ever noted
Central High school was taken today.
between 2,400 and $500 pupils appear
ing for work. A number of pupils
who will come back to the school re-
mained away today. SO that the final
enrolment may be in excess of the
latter figure.
There was an enrolment Of 1895
pupils at Mckinley High School this
morning. this number also being one
of the largest opening enrollments in
the schools history.
Eastern High School showed a to-
tai enrolment of GIG, composed of 464
girls and 152 boys. All classes were
filled today. Principal Hart said.
With a total enrolment of 54S pu-
pills. classes at Western High School
were generally filled. and Principal
Newton said there was little room
left for additional pupils.
Business High School was crowded
today with $50 pupils. 231 more than
the enrolment on opening day last
year and a figure which Principal Da-
Wis said caused him concern for the
size of Some of the classes. The
feature of the enrolment at Business.
Mr. Davis said, is the large number OF
new pupils.
An enrolment larger by 100 pupils
than on last years opening day was
noted at Armstrong Manual Training
High. School. tabulation showing that
ATS pupils registered at the school to-
day.
Tabulation of enrolment did not take
place at Dunbar High School until late
this afternoon. the assembly OF fresh
rnen being held at 2 o'clock. School
officials estimated the total enrolment
This year to be In ths neighborhood oe