Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-05
FINDS EIGHT NEW
SCHOOL BUILDINGS
URGENTLY NEEDED
Principal Haycock of North
west District Reports Re-
suits of Special Inquiry.

Eight new public school buildings
are vitality needed in Takoma Park.
Peworth, Brightwood, Mount Pleas
ant, Park View and other adjacent
sections. to relieve overcrowding in
the schools in the third division. ac-
cording to Robert L. Haycock. super
vising principal. Mr.. Haycock has
prepared report outlining in detail
the immediate need Of eight addi-
tional schools. in his division, which
he has forwarded to Stephen E. Kra-
mer. assistant superintendent Of
schools.
The recent police census. Mr.. Hay
cock pointed out. shows that the
tenth police precinct has increased in
population more rapidly than any
other part of the city. The bounds
of the tenth police precinct are prac-
tically coincident with the third
school division. In 1914 the school
population of this division was less
than 1000. The school enrolment to-
day is over $500.
Fl Portable Buildings in Use.
During these five years only the
Park View and the Powell School ad-
ditions have been built, an increase of
only twenty-four permanent class
rooms. Twenty-one portables are now
in use in this division, which marks
the largest number of these tenn
porary buildings utilized in any one
school division. More than half the
teachers in this division are carrying
over forty pupils in their classrooms.
Thirty rooms are occupied by two
on two-shift system. one section at
tending school in the morning and the
other in the afternoon.
According to Principal Haycock,
new schools are needed in the fol-
lowing sections: Spring Road. Ingle-
ington Heights. Sixteenth Street
Highlands, South Takoma and at the
Monroe and Park View schools.
Spring Road Sections Needs.
"For many years a new school
building has been recommended to
meet the needs of the Spring road
neighborhood." said Mr.. Haycock.
This proposed building will not only
take care of the needs of a rapidly
growing section of the city, but will
relieve to some extent congestion in
the nearby schools. He produced a
chart showing that the increase in
enrolment during the last six years
road section from 2.460 in 1914 to
.02O in 1920. The schools circling
the Spring road section are the West,
Petworth, Park View, Hubbard, John
son and Powell.
In the West School the enrolment
loo Civ 1,oC
creased from 240 to 536; in the Pet
worth, from 612 to 799; in the Park
View, from 185 to 994, and in the
Johnson-Powen group from 975 to
1866. The Hubbard showed an In
crease in enrolment from 44s in 1914
to 47O in 1919, but this year it de-
creased to 445.
These figures, which were given by
Mr.. Haycock. are for the enrolment at
the close of the first week of school
Additional pupils have been registered
since that time in these schools.
Big Increase in Enrolment.
'The increase in enrolment in these
schools" said Mr.. Haycock. "has been
heavy since 1917. OF the ninety-nine
classes in these six buildings. Sc per
cent are carrying more than forty
pupils each and over 10 per cent have
forty eight or more pupils enrolled.
Fifteen portables are being used to
handle the overcrowding in these six
buildings"
Recently a survey was taken to de-
termine the actual school population
of the northern part OF the Columbia
Heights territory. AS basis for this
survey, school officials took as bound
aries the line Of Meridian street on
10th street on the east and 18th street
on the west. A total of 3ss children
the public schools were
found living in this section. This
does not include children attending
parochial or private schools. How
ever. Mr.. Haycock believes there are
as many children Of kindergarten and
first grade age living in this area
who are not in school because Of the
great distance for small children to
the nearest building.
Mr.. Haycock has recommended to
Supt. Frank w. Ballou and Assistant
Supt Stephen E. Kramer that a site
adequate for a twenty-four-room
building be purchased at once. prefer
ably. on the high ground just north
Of Spring road. Many rows Of houses
are now being built just north of
rr,od