Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-20
CROWDED SCHOOLS
TAKE BACK 10000
AFTER VACATION
Two High Schools, Overtax-
ed, Start TWo-Shift
System.

veritable army of $4,000 children.
some happy, others sad. marched
| into the District public school build
| ings to the peals of dusty brass bells
at O'Clock this morning to seats that
have not been occupied for three
months. Greetings were exchanged
| with the teachers, and the youth
OF Washington formally started again
on the unending path of knowledge.
Ihe opening found virtually all the
| schools confronted with the largest
enrollments in history Crowded con-
dltions We're reported in many of the
elementary schools. while the senior
institutions were taxed above ca
| pacity.
Two-shift systems were started in
two of the high schools to relieve
overcrowding-old students attend
ing in the morning and freshmen in
tne afternoon. Preparations new
are being made to institute a similar
system in the lower grades of the
elementary schools which are over
| crowded.
| Fewer on First Day,
| Although no figures were compiled
| this morning, school officials estimate
that the first day enrolment will not
! Th1s is due to the fact that many
children are still out of the city, and
others are either sick or withheld
from school the opening day due to
tne usual upset conditions. School
| ofhcials believe also that many are
| still at work. who do not intend to
| come back to school until October l.
| Al the close of school today super
vising principals will make returns to
the headquarters of the school system
| at the Franklin School on their en-
rollments. The first days attendance
however. they point out, is no criterion
OF the enrolment for the year
! WIN record breaking enrollments
/ reported for the first day in nearly all
| the schools, officials predict that be-
| fore October /. at least $1,000 children
will be attending the District schools,
marking the highest in their history.
approximately 10000 children were
enrolled last year.
5000 New Enrollments.
Reports gathered today by a re-
porter for The Evening Star show
that more than 1000 new students
have been enrolled in the high schools
and about 1000 in the elementary
| schools. The greatest increase in en-
rollments in the grade schools was
reported in the Mount Pleasant sec
tion. where new homes have been con-
structed since the closing OF the
schools in June. Schools in Petworth
and other subdivision sections OF the
city also report heavy increases.
Unlike last year. the first grades
| instead of the kindergartens are bear
ing the greatest increases in enroll
ment, indicating that new first grade
classes win have to be opened In
many of the schools. Kiudsrgarten en-
rollments. hcwSyss, e. sxs, e hsayy.
Western High School to establish n
two-s system were not carried out
today, due to the light first day en-
rollment. Although about $50 students
were expected to enter Western; only
637 reported today, causing establish
ment of the two-shift system TO De
deferred for several days.
100 Mt Busfness High.
| The two-shift system, however. was
started at Eastern and Business High
schools, where enrollments reached
exnectations. More than 1900 chill
dren enrolled at Business and about
900 at Eastern. BusineSs last year
had about LOO students and Eastern
Central High School, the largest
and most popular IN wasmng,ona; sno I
an increase of over 100. Mckinney
High School reported an enrolment OF
! about l.500, an increase OF zoo over
last year -Four hundred freshman
students at this institution were quar-
tered in the Junior High Scnool anu
| eth and o streets.
The most serious OF the overcrowoed
conditions found was at the Petworth
School The enrollments there were
so heavy that portable pulioings
and four rooms in the United Presby-
terrain Church were pressed into use
! r,rowded conditions are reported to
be the worst in the Mount Pleasant
section of the city, as during the
summer more than 200 new residences
have been completed. and many peo-
4
parts of the city because of apart.
ment changes. Both the Force and
Adams schools report large enroll
ments, and. unknown to each other.
each is planning the transfer ol many
/ pupils to the other schooi.
Selden NJ. Ely, supervising princi-
1 nal at the Gales School, states that
schools in his section, especially the
Langdon. Brookland. Emery and Gage
schools are very crowded, but upon
/ the erection Of the new buildings au-
| thorized by the Commissioners at
! 18th and Monroe streets. the over
| crowded condition Will be consider
| ably a1leviated.
Mr.. Ely stated that he had a large
number of requests to enter in the kim
dergartens and the grade schools chill
dren who were not yet old CROUCH
the ages peing five and six years, re-
spectively He called up DIR. Ballou.
the superintendent Of the schools. in
! curing what should be done. The su-
perintendent stated that the Child
would have to be of the requisite age.
| Some day" Mr.. Ely told the inquiring
parent, children will be admitted ac-
cording to their mental qualifications.
| but until that day Of advancement we
must go by the old method Of age
qualifications"
The Ludlow and the Peabody schools.
| in the northeast section OF the city.
appear to be filling up rapidly, pres
| ent enrolIments being far ahead of
those Of last year. 4
| Schools of Southeast and Southwest
Washington appear to be experiencing
| the same influx as the other schools OF
IL ..if