Evening star., 1921-04-30
SCHOOLS NEED IS
| ROOMS AT ONCE
Not Vacant Classroom in
! Seventeen Buildings of
~ First Division.

There is immediate need for eight
cen additional classrooms for public
schools in the first division. TO relieve
present overcrowded conditions, it
was stated today by school authorities.
Twelve of them are wanted to accom-
modate classes now in portables. rent
ed and other undesirable quarters;
three to reduce oversize classes and
three to eliminate part-time classes.
There are seventeen schools in the
first division. and there is not va
cant room in any of them. This dlN!-
sion lies in the northwest section of
Washington. and is bounded in gen
erl on the north by the District line.
on the east by Rock creek. on the
south by the Potomac river and on the
west by the District line. The schools
IN it are the Adams Addison. Berret.
f. ". Brown, Conduit Road, Corcoran.
Curtis, Dennison. Eaton. Fillmore.
Force. Hyde. Industrial Home. Jack
son. Reservoir, Tenley and the Wis
consin Avenue Manual Training.
Classes Operate Half Day.
In this division there are two classes
In the fourth grade and four classes
in the third grade operating half
day due TO the congestion. seven OF
the flimsy one-room portableS also
aretin use to provide accommodation
for the large enrolment. one is at
theBrown School. four at the Eaton.
one at the Force and one at the Ten
ley The overCrowded conditions in
this division also have created twenty
four oversize classes. The enrolment
in these large classes ranges between
forty-one and fifty pupils. These
classes, according TO school officials,
are too large for satisfactory school
work.
In the s5,o0o.oo school building pro-
gram which school authorities hope
Congress win approve at the session.
provisions are made for sixteen of
the eighteen additional classrooms
needed in the first division. This
project recommends that eight rooms
be added to the Eaton School and
kight rooms to the Tenley.
4S Crowded Into Some Classes.
1t is pointed out by school author
flies that overCrowded conditions at
the Tenley School. at Wisconsin ave-
nue. and Yuma street, and the rapid
development of the territory in its
vicinity have made the addition of
eight rooms to this building most
vital. Children attending this school
number about $50. more than the
building can comfortably accommo-
date. Forty-eigit pupils are crowded
into some classes, while there are be-
tween forty and forty-five in others.
With an enrolment larger than
could be cared for in the permanent
school building a portable and a
frame dwelling near it were pressed
into use. The house, according to
school officials, is so old its age is un-
known to them. 1t has two rooms
which are being used by a first grade
class and domestic science classes.
The Tenley School has adequate
playground space, which is well
equipped, it is said. But in inclement
weather the children are forced to re-
main in their claSSrooms during re-
cess. due to the lack of play space in
the building. There is one dark play
room for the girls in the basement of
the school. The boys have no indoor
play space.
New Lights Needed.
The Tenley is one of the few schools
in the District that have a satisfactory
heating system School authorities
have no complaint to make about the
heating plant However, they desire
the installation of electric lights. The
building at present is artificially
lighted by gas, but the number of
lights is said to be insufficient to in
sure hrst-class lighting system.
With an eight-room addition to the
school an assembly hall also is de-
sired. which, it is pointed out, is es-
sential. because under present condi-
tions there is no place to hold func-
tons of any character. Graduation
exercises are held on the lawn in the
schoolyard, weather permitting on ac-
count Of the lack of an assembly hall