Evening star., 1920-07-12
SCHOOLS NEEDED,
DR.. bA[LOU HOLDS
New Superintendent Points
Out Lack of Buildings
and Teachers.

Education of hundreds of District
public school children will be seriously
affected this coming school year by
many of the schools Nothing can pre-
clude this situation. except more build
ings and more teachers, and neither is
available this fall. This was pointed
out today by DR.. Frank w. Ballou.
new superintendent of schools, and
other officials.
Despite his brief knowledge of all
existing conditions in the school sys-
tenn. Supt. Ballou indicated that he is
fully aware of the problem of relieving
overcrowding, and to this most of his
attention Will be centereo before leav-
ing Washington for vacation in the
Maine woods. But no effective remedy
can be taken to accommodate the 5000
new school children, ne pointed out.
unless there are more buildings, more
teachers and more money. This slogan
moro money, more buildings and
more teacherS"-is destined to be the
one of the new superintendent until all
are obtained.
Tentative Plan Decided On.
a tentative plan for relieving crowd
ed conditions in some of the schools
which are expected to be more seri-
ously affected was decided on today
at conference between Assistant
superintendent Stephen L. Kramer
and Dr. Ballou. 1t calls for half day
sessions in number of the third and
fourth grades of the schools where
Accommodations cannot be provided
under existing conditions. Unless a
more workable plan Is devised this
one Will be instituted when the
schools open September 90
Under this plan pupils enrolled in
the third and fourth grades in over
crowded schools will be divided into
two distinct sections One section
will attend in the morning and the
other in the afternoon. The morning
section will attend classes from
am. to 1880 pm. and the other from
that time until pm.
Shorten Instruction Periods.
This system will shorten the periods
of instruction given the third and
fourth grade pupils by virtually one
half the time they were given in pre-
vious years. and will call for addi-
tional teachers. DR.. Ballou pointed out
that he knew of it's detrimental re-
suits on the education of the pupils
but that it undoubtedly would have
to be adopted until the new school
buildings were completed
Extension of the two-platoon sys-
tenn, which was instituted in the Park
View School by former Supt. Ernest
L. Thurston, and operated success
fully since February l until the clos
ing of the schools in June. is not like
ly, DR.. Ballou stated. This system was
started by Mr.. Thurston to relieve
oyercrowding. but DR.. Ballou pointed
out that 1t could not be extended to
schools where there are no assembly
halls or auditoriums.
Success Not Assured.
The superintendent further made 1t
clear that in his opinion the two
platoon system at the Park View
School had not been in operation for
sufficient length of time to insure
its success.
1t was the intention of former Supt
Thurston. provided he had remained
at the head of the school system. to
extend the two-platoon plan this
fall as one of the methods of reliev-
ing overcrowding. Mr.. Thurston had
planned to start a platoon school in
the Mount Pleasant district and 9TH
er sections where enrolment is ex-
pected to be increased materially.