The Washington herald., 1922-06-05
cOLORED SCHOOLS
SINK TO DEPTHS
0FREPULSIVENESS
Insanitary Buildings Too
Small to House Ne
gro Students.
UNFAIR TO PUPILS
Attempt to Keep Ugly Strue-
) turessClean and Neat
Is Evident.
UNFAIR TO PUPILS

The most dtsgIyaceful school con-
ditions 30 FAR encountered in The
Herald's school survey exist in the
eolorsd schools
Crowded into ,conglomerate
groups of buildings. psortables and
rented e'schools." the cobored chill
dren Of Washington are believed
to be at q greater disadvantage
than can be Justified by conditions
existing in the District
Due to the fact that the colored
schools are scattered in all parts
of the District The Heraldis survey
will deal with schools In various
sections OF the city rather than by
divisions. schools included In
this report are the Montgomery,
Phillips. Garrison. Patterson and
Garnett, wormley and Mott.
All B.nafnss Worn.
Two schools in this group. tho
Montgomery and Mott are regarded
as averaxe good buildings Except
for the fact that there is no play
ground at the MONTGOMERY this
building is considered adequate.
Unusual congestion at the Mott is
being relieved by a new building in
course Of erection.
The five remaining schools re-
veal an acute lack of aocommoda-
tions. All Of the buildings are old
and worn. In practically every
instance they are surrounded by
a group of portable schools" in
which the surplus school population
In housed. Besides rented property,
there are from one to six of the
portable buildings with each school.
l.. a
no other class OF public buildings
In the District equals the dilapi-
. dated appearance of the schools,
the conditions of the negroes
buildings are the worst of the
school group. Not only Is the
appearance repulsive, but there are
actual vital defects.
Can Forxo Beauty.
The greatest need is not for at
tractive buildings, but for sufficient
space to accommodate the children
An interested cOlored citizen ex-
pressed the need Temporarily we
can forego the beauty in school archi-
lecture" he said. While that is con-
sidered essential by educators. we are
willing to let that go il We can get
the bare necessities Of education such
as buildings and books. Our eolored
schools are so crowded that II is an
imposition upon the teachers and dis
honesty toward the children to con-
tinue with the present equipment"
At Garnett School. a twelve-room
building at the corner of U street and
Vermont avenue northwest there are
forty-eight desks in practically every
room. While thirty pupils per teacher
Is considered an average class, the
teachers in this school have to give
instruction to from forty to fifty
children each day. Individual at
tention 10 the needs Of the individual
child Is impossible in colored schools,
vital Lack of Space.
In addition to class room conges-
ton. the Garnett has three portable
schools There Is also a church, one
and one half blocks from the school.
which is rented and used for
school. Patterson School. IN
the same block with Garnett, shares
the extra buildings. While there are
only twenty rooms in the two schools.
approximately 1,i00 children are
crowded into these and the rented
property and portables.
Besides lack OF housing space. the
physical condition Of the two schools
cational purposes. Only one room on
the first floor of the Garnett Is lighted
sufhciently to relieve eye strain.
Portables and another building cut
of the light that was planned for
when the school was erected. and, IN
turn. this school prevents proper
lighting in the portables. Gas lights
are used in class rooms on dark days
Sewage on Floors.
Following heavy rains the base
ment Of the Garnett School resem-
bles a cesspool. Water from the
sewer backs up through tho floor
drains. emptying sewage over the
entire basement floor. The odor Is
stininR.
While conditions at Garnett and
Patterson are bad, they are cver
worse At Garrison. This school is
one Of the old type, barn-like build
inEs. Surrounding the school are
six portable schools used to house
the children for whom no other
provision has been made. Sur
rounded by an unpainted board