Evening star., 1920-02-03
CLOSING Of NIGHT
SCHOOLS FEARED;
$4,000 NEEDED
More Than 10000 Students
May Be Deprived of Con-
tinuinq Courses.

The public night schools of the Dis
trict will be closed before the end of
this month for lack of funds to oper-
ate them, and more than 10000 adult
pupils will be forced abruptly to drop
their studies. unless Congress comes
to the rescue without delay and ap-
propriates $4,000 to run the night
schools until June.
This appropriation, urgently re-
quested by the school administration.
was stricken out in the House by ap-
plication of point of order ruling
when pending deficiency bill. con-
tanning the provision. was considered
last week. Unless the Senate should
restore it and take the matter into
conference and retain it in the meas
ure that is passed there win be no
more free public night schools this
year.
Night school enrolment on January
II, 1919, was 6,139. The schools were
conducted during 191S-1919 with an
original appropriation of 1000, plus
$4,000 deficiency appropriation.
Night school enrolment on January
16. 1920, was 10,307. There will have
been expended on their operation from
last September until the end Of this
month an original appropriation of
$4,000 The schools can be conducted
an additional fund of $4,000 by careful
expenditure, school authorities say.
Give Average Attendance.
The enrolment figures given do not
include the total number of pupils
who have taken work, according to
Ernest L. Thurston, superintendent of
schools.
tendance during the height of the
season for each year. A large num-
Der of persons above the figures
quoted enter the night schools. take
course in some one subject. finish it
and go their way rejoicing.
Most night school pupils are adults.
They are studying in order to do their
work more satisfactorily. in order to
fit themselves for promotion, or in
order to hold the jobs they have now.
great many government employees
attend the schools. During the war
the schools accomplished much in in
creasing the efficiency of thousands of
workers in emergency service.
Some of the government wartime
clerks received their appointments on
a Saturday" said Mr.. Thurston; "ar-
rived in Washington Monday. report
ed for work Tuesday and enrolled in
the public night schools on Wednes-
day. We're very proud of our war
time night school record"
The night schools now would have
an enrolment of $4,000 pupils, Mr..
Thurston continued, if there were suf-
ficient funds to provide for the in
struction Of 1900 or 1900 additional
applicants.
Effect on Americanixati0n.
If the night schools are forced to
close an important part OF the local
Am work conducted by
the public school system will be
dropped. Night classes in American
ization, attended exclusively by for
eigners. several hundred in number
are conducted at the Jefferson School
Junior High School. a school in
Georgetown and at the Jewish We'll
fare House in South Washington.
More than 5000 pupils are attending
night classes at Business High School
Most of these are adults. The others
are persons of both sexes who have
been forced to quit school and go to
work, but who hope to get the eQuiva-
lent OF high school education at
night school.
The Business High School night
courses include commercial arithmetic,
accountancy, bookkeeping. English,
filing methods. French and gymnas-
tics.
Night courses offered at Mckinley
High School are: English. mathematics
try), French. Spanish, physics. chemis-
try. electricity. steam. engineering,
automobile engineering, mechanical
drawing. wireless telegraphy. machine
shop, wood shop, sewing (for begin
ners and including designing and tai
loring), millinery, domestic science
and printing.
Course at Eastern.
Eastern High School night classes
offer shorthand, arithmetic, bookkeep-
ing, Spanish, French. typewriting and
English. Night classes in printing
are conducted at Central High School
Western High School offers night
courses in mathematics. English.
typewriting, French and Spanish. The
Henry School and the Jefferson School
night courses offer fifth to eighth
grade work and typewriting. North
east Industrial School night classes
offer millinery and domestic science
w. S. Patterson, supervising prin-
cipal in charge of night schools. said
today the average monthly expendi-
ture on the night schools is $11, 900.
A $4,000 deficiency appropriation, he
said, would enable him to keep the
schools going until summer.