Evening star., 1923-09-17
5000 CHILDREN
BEGIN SCHOOL YEAR
Many of Buildings Over
crowded as Pupils Throng
In on First Day.

Washington's public schools opened
today for the scholastic year Of 1929
"a with heavy enroIlments. Although
there will be no. figures showing the
total number enrolled on the first day
until late fhis afternoon, belief was
expressed that the figure probably
would exceed $4,000.
The greatest increase in the en-
rollment. in the opinion of the off,
cials, will be shown in the third divi-
sion, which covers the Mount Pleas
ant sections and the newly developed
subdivisions of the northwest. Vir-
tually all the schools in this division
were overcrowded last year. The
congestion gives evidence of increas-
ing until the completion of the new
Macfarland Junior High School, which
will provide relief for many OF the
schools.
A portable colony of four one-room
structures has been placed on the
edge of the Macfarland High School
site in north Petworth to accom-
modate the overflow from the Pet
worth, West and other schools in that
vicinity. pending the completion of
the Macfarland Junior High School.
Robert l.. Haycock. supervising prin-
cipal of the third division. said that the
enroilment in his district gives every
".
The greatest increase was noted in the
lower grades of the Petworth School.
Many of the new pupils enrolling in
this division are from out of town.
The junior high school classes or
ganized in the West and Petwortb
schools filled UP soon after the opening
this morning. There are enough pupils
now in these classes, he said, to fllI
the new Macfarland Junior High
Similar junior high school iew; classe,;
were organized in the Emery and
Gage schools. 1t is the plan of off,
Gals to give pupils in these classes
as much junior high school work as
Mcfarland junior high schools are
completed. When these buildings are
ready for occupancy the junior high
school units in tie West and Petworth
schools will be moved in their en-
tirety into the Macfarland School
The junior high school classes in the
Gage and Emery schools will be shift
ed into the Langley School.
All pupils of the Thomson School
were transferred to either the Frank
lin or Webster school. A third story
six-room addition is being erected
on the Thomson School and this
building will not be ready for occu.
pancy before the Christmas holidays.
The placing of the Thomson pupils
in the Franklin and Webster schools
buildings so greatly that both build
ings were compelled to put all clas-
ses on part time.
The officials have received some
criticism of such an arrangement, but
pointed out that 1T was impossible
for the work to be completed on the
Thomson today. as the erection of
the q, thrd-story addition was not
started until about July 10. The ap-
preparation for the addition was not
made available until July /, and
work could not be started sooner, it
was said.
Despite the large prospective in
crease in enrolment, only one addi-
tional school building was available
today to relieve the congestion--the
old Eastern High School, which open
ed as a junior high school. This build
ing affords some relief to the schools
in Northeast and Southeast Washing
ton.
Periodically, however, additional
school buildings which are now under
construction will be opened as they
are completed. Before the end of the
current semester. it is expected that
the eighty-four additional classrooms,
which will be provided by the new
buildings, will be occupied, and the
Fovercrowded conditions which will
exist for several months, will be al
leviated.