Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-09-16
SCHOOL REOPEN|NG
MARKS FIFTH YEAR
OF OVERCROWD|NG
10000 Enrolment Expected
as Signing of Pupils
Begins Tomorrow.
TO SKATER ALL D. C.
ATTENDANCE RECORDS
Relief Through Completion of
Many Buildings Expected
This Semester.

Confronted with an enrolment eX-
pected TO shatter all previous records.
and with but few additional accom-
modations. Washington's public
schools will open tomorrow for the
scholastic year of 1923-1924.
Overhauled and reorganized, the
school system will begin to function
at 9 o'clock, marking the end OF a
ninety-day vacation for thousands of
children and about 1900 teachers.
Virtually every detail necessary for
the smooth running of the big public
educational system has been worked
out by the administrative and super
| visory force and received the appro-
val of Supt Frank w. Ballou and the
board of education.
Approximately 10000 children. 1t is
confidently believed by the officials.
will jam their way into the 155 school
buildings, originally built to house
| II, 900 less. This is the fifth consecu-
| tive year that the schools have
| opened in overcrowded condition. AL
most $4,000 found accommodations in
them last year, uncomfortable as they
were, and with the emergency two
shift system of operation. portables
and other undesirable quarters, the
officials will make room for the pros
pective increase.
Peak Expected October 1.
Not more than $1,000 will enroll
on the opening gay. according to the
I e 81 ~ft
But the figure will steadily increase
until about October 1, when the an
ticipated peak or 10000 will be
reached
! The lack of housing accommoda-
| tions, however. is not giving the au-
| thorities as much concern this year
as in the last five years, during which
period the school population made its
greatest expansion. On the horizon
this year, the officials see some relief
! from the almost intolerable class
| room congestion which they have
| sought so vigorously to eradicate.
! Between now and the beginning of
the second semester on February i,
eighty-four additional classrooms.
made possible by the school build
ing program contained in the cur
rent District appropriation bill. will
be ready for occupancy. Thus. COM
Portable accommodations will be
provided for approximately $3.50
children who otherwise would be
forced to go through the school year
in cramped quarters.
Part-TIme Glasses.
In the meantime, these 1850 pupils
/ and hundreds of others, will be as
signed to part-time classes, where
they will receive about so per cent
of a normal days schooling; or in
stuffy, flimsy. one-room portable
buildings where modern methods of
heating and ventilation are unknown.
| Still others will be crowded fifty
and sixty into classrooms, which
originally contained seats for not
more than forty.
Somewhat proudly. Supt. Ballou
| yesterday afternoon pointed out that
despite the congested classes which '
will again this year be found in the
/ school system, some progress is be-
ing made toward remedying the de-
plorable shortage of schoolhouse &C
commodations which he found upon
coming to Washington three years
ago. In 1920 there were 70 of the
portable buildings in use, DR.. Ballou
said, and this year the number has
been reduced to 81. At that time Al
classes were being held in rented
buildings, and the new school year,
will find only 90 classes in such quar-
ters and steps will be taken soon to,
eliminate others, especially in the
structures where landlords are plan
ming to boost the rental. The off,
Gals have not found it possible. how
ever, to reduce the oversize and part
time classes.
Two Buildings Incomplete.
The incompletion of the two new
| junior high schools-the Langley and
Macfarland-will preclude relief for
the elementary schools in. the sec
lions of the city contiguous to their
location at the inception of the new
scholastic term. These two build
ings, containing "a rooms each. may
be ready for occupancy shortly be-
fore Christmas
AS a result no ninth grade classes.
| which are equivalent to first year
class in high school, will be started
in these junior high schools until the
next semester. 1t is DR.. Ballou's plan
/ to let the pupils in the eighth grade
classes in the junior high schools
graduate into the ninth grade class
es and not fill them as originally
planned by children promoted from
the eighth grades of the elementary
! schools last June.
The new Junior high schools when
opened, therefore, will only afford re-
! lief to the elementary field through
: the first semester. as their classes
4 will be organized exclusively of pu-
I nils drawn from the seventh and
eighth grades. Thus the high schools
will not feel the effect of these
buildings until February 1.
Junior High Opening.
! The opening of the old Eastern
High School tomorrow morning as
junior high school will alleviate the
unde sirable conditions in some of the
| elementary schools of southeast and
northeast Washington. Whether fhig
building will be known as the Hine
or the Bancroft Junior High School
is still a matter of conjecture. The
| Commissioners want 1t named the
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