Evening star., 1922-01-24
A Broad New-Building Plan
The Districts School Need

cess Of the comfortable accommoda-
tion. The same conditions prevail reia.
lively at Business High. at Eastern, ct
Western: ct Mckinley. at Armstrong
I'm In isss and in 1908 there wera many
part-time classes. They were re-
garded as undesirable then, as make
shifts to do the utmost with the e1-
listing plant while better accomm0..
those better accommodations were
not provided. In 1921, nearly 40 years
after the first survey. there were -
part-time classes in the elementary
In 1889 there were many rented
rooms. In 1890 there were 20 rented
quarters In addition to an many more
'schoolrooms" Of an undesirable char
acter located in Easements and other
such places.
on an estimate Of IS per class. ana
in 1920, there were "a classes with
an enrolment Of more than 10 pupils
each, that having come to be regard
ed as the maximum for effective In
In 1882 "portables" were unknown:
It would be better II they were not
known today, save that they tempo
rarily" relieve the congestion.
All makeshifts and expedients such
as part-time classes. platoons and
portables are marks Of deficiency of
equipment. The fact that at present
these expedients are characteristic
Of the whole system from the lowest
grades to the high schools. and In
all parts Of the District. proves un-
mistakably that the provisions for
the public schools OF the capital
have not been adequate for a long
period. and that the. urgent need TO.
day is for a broad, comprehensive
plan that will each year take care OF
more than the prospective increase
in school population and will, II con.
tinued faithfully over a period OF
several years. finally bring the local
system up to date. -
The situation: in, tho District With
that Of the often quoted Mr.. Wilfer
Friend" Poor Mr. wilfer never had
had complete new suit Of
clothes all at once. Wofnout gar.
1snss we're ssSi replaced fs 4ps q. e. rime
of wardrobe. and 1t was not uhtil his
daughter Bella's stroke Of good for.
tune that he was provided for once
in his life with a whole new suit
from top to toe. Tho District looks
Wilfer. will have a whole new suit
Of school clothes. when its outgrown
and shabby garments will be replaced
with new and adequate equipment.
Much Of this congestion in tho
public schools Is due to the unexpect-
edly rapid growth OF the District
, during the past few years. But there
has been no greater congestion-save
perhaps that suffered At the peak OF
the war period, when the city was ex-
traordinarily crowded and schools
were depleted of teaching forces
during recent years than In tho past.
as, for instance. 1882. IN other words.
the shortage OF school equipment
was relatively as great forty years ago
and again fourteen years ago Is to-
to provide sufticiently for both pres
ent and future needs in the course OF
the annual appropriations for school
development and maintenance.
No matter how liberal the budget
may be in any one year. It canno
. unless it is followed by other liber,
budgets for several years to com
and Is then followed by normal
, adequate provisions looking to future
increases. One years million for new
building will be Of no moment II not
/ followed by next years million. and
SO on.
!, But the local needs call for more
than q million q year for q period OF
years. A million q year woald. Il 10
estimated, partly absorb arrears, but
a decade or more to catch UP, and mo-
body can tell what the population 10
going to be ten years hence, OF the
schools needs, as Washington grows
not merely in numbers OF residents,
| but In importance as an educational
center.
The most definite and conservative
estimate that has been submitted BY
those who have closely studied the
situation is that there should be a
new building provision Of not less
than 100000 year for ave years.
in addition to provisions for annual
growth. II that is undertaken. with
assurances OF continuance, there is q
prospect that by 1850 the District will
have for the first time In history an
approximately suficient sehoolhouse
plant. But II less is done, IL the pres
same sas s as se q sss ana sat 'es
1908 and becomes merely q matter Of
recorded opinion tha Districts schools
OF 1880 will be a. crowded. badly
housed, doubIed-up. part-timed. pla-
tooned and "portabled" 90 they are
today.
So it is the hope Of the District now
that the joint congressional commit
tee will proceed upon the completioa
Of It's study Of local school needs to
put into effect the results Of its OBJ
seryations In a comprehensive build
ing.appropriation plan ag . guide to
all future school provisions. taking
warning Of the past failures follow
ing surveys and exhaustive studies
and at last practically assuring the
, Districts Mr.. Wilfer q full suit OF
clothes for once in his Iifos