Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-22
.16-ROOM SCHOOL
IS RECOMMENDED
FOR n. v. SECTION
Enlargement of H. D. Cooke
Building and Taking Over
of Another Urged.

Enlargement of the Henry D. Cooke
School. taking over of the Wilson
Colored School. and the construction
of sixteen-roo building just north
of the Calvert street bridge are neces-
sary to relieve overcrowded conditions
in the schools of North Washington
Heights. Recommendations to this
effect have been made to school au-
thorities by Robert L. Haycock., super
rv,sfng principal of the third division
it was learned today.
Enrolment at the Cooke School
which is located on 18th street be-
tween Euclid and Fuller streets, has
Increased so rapidly during the last
three years that two portable build
ings had to be pressed into use. Mr.
Haycock pointed out that the building
of a large. apartment house in the
neighborhood of the school has caused
remarkable increase in the school
population.
Filled to Capacity.
Most of the classes at the Cooke
School now have capacity enrollments
Heavy kindergarten and irst-grade
classes have been giving school Off
cials complicated organization prob
lens. There will be three fourth
grades at this school next year. The
crowded conditions already have re-
suited in many fifth and sixth grade
pupils being shifted to the Morgan
and Powell schools against the wishes
of their parents.
, These conditions according to Mr.
Haycock. prompted him to arrive at
some definite policy with regard to
future school accommodations in this
part of the city. The three solutions
named above are the ones Mr..
Haycock believes should be adopted
enlargement of the Cooke School
itself in the opinion of Mr. Haycock.
will not meet the situation More
over. he contends. it is a costly prop
ositIon to purchase improved prop
erty in choice residential section for
school enlargement. The war. he
said, has added to the cost which
would delay the working out of such
a plan until the congestion becomes
unbearable.
The wilson colored school. which is
just one block south OF the Cooke.
Mr.. Haycock stated. lends itself by
location and size to grouping with
the latter. He stipulated that it is
situated on the south edge of that
part of Washington Heights occu-
pied by white residents. so that white
children attending the school need
not pass through a section occupied
by colored residents.
Three of the eight rooms of the
Wilson school. said Mr. Haycock.
should be given to manual training
cooking and science. zone classroom
at the Cooke now is used for domes-
tic science) Thus. six rooms would
be added 10 the Cooke unit This
would give the best immediate solu-
ton. according to Mr.. Haycock. pro-
ivding the organization of colored
schools can be adjusted to such a
change. This. he believes. might be
done temporarily by means of a eroun
of portables located in the colored sec
ton.
Our plans for the future" said
Mr.. Haycock. should contemplate a
twenty four-room building north of
Calvert Street bridge. to serve that
territory lying between the Cooke.
Brown and Eaton schools. l feel that
it is worth while to take under con-
Sideration in our next estimates the
purchase of a site for the erection of
a school between the bridge and
Geological Park.