Evening star., 1921-05-17
REPORTS SCHOOL BUILDINGS
IN DEPLORABLE CONDITION
Monday Evening Club Committee Reveals
Bad Sanitation, Imperfect Heating and
Structure Rotting Down.

Conditions in the District public
schools. heretofore unaunounced. were
revealed in a report of the special school
committee Of the Mnday Evening club
~ its annual meeting Yesterday evening
Oh the lawn of Gallaudct College.
The report drafted by the committee
afrcr a survey of eight school buildings
in various sections OF the city. dis
closed that rats Of ''most unusual size'
ir1habit the dark basement of the Tcn!cy
school; that portahl" AT the BRYAN
School is literally rafting dawn: tha;
rrc Smothcrs School is wholly Il dis
grace from point Of service and s:tui-
tation.' and that the heating plant at
r!,c Mott School is in such a state that
IN cold W,a her the heat in four rooms
-! the structure never reaches above
=" degrees Farcnhcit.
Asks Changes in school System.
!:csidcs urging the club to support
school authorities 10 carry out their
HHjIldlng program which is designed
I" remedy the ovcrcroWdcd condi-
Ions. the committee recommended q
number of changes in various
branches Of the school system. They
in"!uded the organization of corps
al paid substitute teachers. revision
"f salary schedule for teachers and
officers. increasing the number OF
lnclnbe-S on the board Of examiners.
increasing the clerical force. aboIi-
ton of the ella ssifcatio Of teachers.
and reorganization of the executive
staff SO that there would he q super
iHt"ndcnt, a deputy superintendent to
have charge Of white high schools.
an assistant superintendent in charge
uf colorcd schools and at least three
additional supcrintendents. y nat sal
AIRY of S1.5op a year, with a longevity
allowance of SO" year. TO and in
cIu,iing at least five years. also was
-Ep 1p,Ir nd lr1 for 81, 10
The report was drafted by Arthur
Dccrin Call. chairman; Allan II. VIII
lett and 4. J. Driscu1. II was adopt
,d unanimously hy the club.
Substance of Report.
Your committee knows from first
hand observation that the SmothcrS
School. on Bennng road. is. from She
point of service and sanitation. wholly
disgrace" said tho report. Zach of
the rooms is heated by two stoves: tn"
halls are not heated at all: the wafer
supply comes from a pump in th"
front yard: there ar" three grades,
fifth, sixth and seventh. in one room.
il is 1S6 feet from the building to tho
disreputabic surface privisS in the
rear: there ar" Stagnant pools border
ing one side of the grounds: one of
the buildings. fifty-six years old. looks
its age. Your committee believe these
buildings should he raZcd and new
plant constructed. preferably on the
higher ground north of the present
site.
THE Garnet School. on 10th street
between L and V streets. has porta-
bic building on its none too ample
playground. 1t has two kindergar-
tens one in the morning and one in
the afternoon. in d rented room of
church nearby
AT times during the winter there have
been seven rooms with fifty pupils i'll
each room four of the first grade hav-
ing from fifty to fifty-two- There is no
doubt that this highly congested district
needs more SchoolroomS. Adjoining the
school grounds TO the north there are
number of ilapidated houses and an
overcrowded and dangerous alley which.
in the judgment of YOUR committee.
should be taken over by the city and
used for an additional school building
site.
Conditions at Gage school.
The Gage School. on I'd street be-
tween L and V streets. has three portable
buildings. There is one poorly lighted
md poorly ventilated room in the base
ment used for class purposes. The school
has no assembly hall. The principals
Office is in the main hall OF the building,
surrounded by screens and artificially
lighted. There is an immediate need
for four rooms and an assembly hall.
There is room for an extension OF the
school plant 10 meet the needs OF the
district for a number OF years.
THE Mott School 3th street be-