Evening star., 1921-01-08
D. c. SCHOOLS NEED
1888 CLASSR00MS
All Available Space Crowded
to Capacity, BaIIou
Says.

Housing problems facing the pub
lie schools of the District of Columbia
and the steps being taken to over
come classroom congestion were out
lined by DR.. F. w. Ballou, superin-
tendent of schools. in an address at
a meeting of the Chevy Chase Cltl-
zens' Association, last night at the
+. ". Brown School. The Home and
School Association and the Mothers
Club Joined in the meeting.
DR.. Ballou revealed that an actual
physical shortage Of 1873 classrooms is
being endured in the elementary
schools, and that these classrooms
cannot be constructed in time to take
care of the normal expansion expect
ed next year. He said preferred
building program Incorporated in the
building of 1874 additional class
rooms. and that within a few years
the schools will have caught up with
the present classroom shortage, but
will have fallen behind as regards
space for the future.
DR.. Ballou said the board OF educa-
tion and the superintendent are CIV
ing their undivided attention to the
building program. realizing that the
housing needs Of the schools are para
mount and even above certain educa-
tional legislation that the superin-
tendent said is badly needed.
Pupils Increased by 1000.
There has been an increase in the
enrolment in the public schools Of
more than 1890 pupils since 1916"
DR.. Ballou said. ITO take care of that
one sixteen-room building erected and
few additional olassrooms made
available by use of portabfes and by
putting pupils in badly. lighted and
altogether undesirable rooms"
MANY classes in our elementary
pupils-practically the largest num-
Der a room can seat and teacher
can handle. If these 1000 additional
pupils were distributed on the basis
of forty to room. it can be seen how
many additional classrooms we need
classes in excess of forty it would
take at least thirty-five or forty new
classrooms. In addition we have
twenty-eight classes receiving three
and one-half hours OF work 2 Day, or
70 per cent OF what they should re.
ceive. This is necessary on account
of the crowded conditions,
Turning. to the District budget, Dr..
Ballou said the board of education
and the superintendent felt they lit
erally did. not, "have the ,cheek TO
submit an estimate for schools OF up
ward Of $4,000, 900. This they did.
and then they were ask =
ed by the Commissioners to pare II
down wherever possible.
Pare Down RequeSts.
The pairing process. DR.. Ballou said.
resulted in the so-called preferential
list" of classroom construction, all OF
which the superintendent said Is
needed badly right now.
The bill as passed by the House. ne
said. did not provide any increase In
salary for teachers who richly de-
serve it," nor did it give the addi-
tional help needed.
DR.. Baliou called attention to the
conditions in the high
schools, saying that from 300 to 500
pupils study in the assembly hall at
Central High School because there is
not class room elsewhere. Conditions
are even worse at other high schools,
he said.
Touching on the elimination Of the
item for community centers from the
District budget, DIR. Ballou said the
'tpoint- rule on which the
item was stricken out was q danger
Gus one for school legislation. He
suggested a campaign. of publicity to
make the people Of Washington ac-
ouainted with the serious condition in
the schools.
DR. Truman Able presided. A vio-
lin solo was given by Mrs. s. ". Gu
sack. accompanied by Mrs. l. Becker.