Evening star., 1923-02-15
NEW SCHOOL PLAN
URGED IN DISTRICT
Experts Report Suggests
Board Should Control Fiscal
Affairs of System.

~ VI
Reorganization of the public school
system OF the District is proposed in
the report Of Dr.. Thomas e. F1negan,
commissioner OF education for Penn
syivania, on the schools here, SUBJ
mitted to the joint congressional COM
mittee considering District school
matters and made public last night
by Senator Capper OF Kansas, chair
man.
The control Of the public schools, in
Guiding their fiscal affairs, would be
placed in the hands Of the board Of
education, and the appointment OF the
members Of the board would be placed
in the hands Of the President. IL
Recommendations of DR.. Finegan
should be adopted.
The report criticizes vigorously
school conditions here and attributes
back ward conditions to Fundamental
legislative defects" It goes very fully
into the matter Of additional building
sites and points out the necessity OF
to meet the future as well as the
present needs OF the National Capital.
Conmittee to Meet.
Senator Capper said today he con-
sidered the Finegan report a strong
presentation OF the school situation
here. Many OF the recommendations
contained in the report are similar to
those carried in q tentative report
which was drafted by Senator Capper
months ago. The Finegan report,
however. has been prepared after
careful study by a number OF leading
educators Of the country. and will be
given due consideration by the joint
committee. The final report Of the
the arrival OF the report from DR..
Finegan.
meeting of the joint committee
Will be called within the next day
or two. Senator Capper said. and the
Finegan report will be considered. 1t
! Joint committee will submit its report
| to Congress until the opening of the
next session. it was said. With little
more than two weeks Of the present
sihae to get through any further
school legislation row. This feeling
! is that report should be made to
/ the new Congress containing a pro-
gram OF legislation, and that it should
be pushed vigorously then.
1 Discussing the need of a program
for adequate school buildings to care
| for the children OF the District. DR.
Fineean said In his report:
THE District of Columbia should
/ school buildings, school sites and
| Fairgrounds that will look ahead for
! at least twenty years. and provide In
| an effective way for the needs OF hel
| school children. Congress should
make such provision that every DO.
i q In hA oiy nf he
United States has 4 seat in a modern
1 school building when he needs it, and
all other modern school facilities
when he needs them.
| Congestion Is Acute.
| Such provision has not been made
the congestion in the school having be.
come very acute during the lost time
[ administrative authority. together with
adequate stan, has not been placed a
the disposal Of the superintendent OF
schools in order that a well conceived
building ptosram might be laid out
ing program must have liberal financial
| support authorized by Congress in order
] that 1t may be carried out. Until this
Is done the boys and girls Of the Dis.
/; trict cannot come into full possession o!
! their inherent rights to receive that ed
| ucation and training that will prepars
them for service and citizenship"
| DR.. Finegan points out that the
| present school population is about
| IS, 900 and that there are $50 build
4 ings, 100 OF which have eight rooms
or less. There are 500 classes which
| are too large for the proper instruc.
tion of pupils. many OF the schoo
buildings are located in noisy streets
| some OF the classes are conducted ir
portable school buildings and In r>at>
| ed quarters. The report continues
"A study OF existing building.
should be made with regard to thei,
adequacy as school plants and in their
relation to the surrounding schoo
population. After such studies have
been made three definite courses OF
action should be mapped out con-
cerning:
doned; buildings that can be remod-
eled at q reasonable expenditure SO
they may be adapted to modern
mediate needs and for prospective
growth.
Thirty Pupils to Room
elementary buildings should moi
have fewer than sixteen rooms noI
more than thirty. Not over thirty pupils
should be allotted to one room. Ele-
mentary buildings should not be more
than two stories high and of f1reproot
construction; each one should be pro-
ytded with q gymnasium and Assem-
| bly, hall. The buildings should be pro-
vided with adequate playground ares
and ground sufficient for school gar
oeninK activities, in which Washing
ton has always taken a lead.
"The immediate building done tc
carry out the six-three-three plan ant