Evening star., 1923-11-21
NEW HIGH SCHOOLS
MAY Be NECESSARY
BaIIou, However, Says Prop
er Expansion of Junior
: System Will Meet Need.

Additional high schools similar to
Central and new Eastern must be
constructed eventually In the District
of Columbia or the high school en-
rollment will have to be accommo-
dated in the junior high schools, Supt
Frank w. Ballou points out in the
fourth section Of his annual report
made public today.
School officials. however, DR.. Bal
lou said. hope that by the establish
ment of a system of junior high
schools It will be unnecessary to
erect another new high school in
Washington for some years to come
since the Junior high schools ac-
commodate both elementary and high
school pupils" declared the super
intendent. they serve a double pur-
pose in relieving congestion. Obvi-
ously It will take several Junior high
schools to accommodate as many high
school pupils as would be acommo-
dated in one senior high school,.
New Schools Needed.
There is immediate need. DIR. Bal
lou emphasized. for new junior high
schools in Georgetown, in the vicinity
of the Fillmore School; in the north
east, in the vicinity Of the Taylor
school: In the northwest. between
Cleveland Park and Chevy Chase: in
Mount Pleasant and near Rock creek
and Goth street. The southwest junior
high school could be provided by con-
verting the Jefferson School into that
type of building. DR. Ballou said. while
the conversion Of the Powell Schoo
into junior high school meets neeos
In Mount Pleasant.
From 192O-21 through 1923 the
net increase in enrolment In the high
schools was 1902 pupils. or an annual
increase of 1.l01 pupils. This Is
striking Endorsement of the program
of secondary education of the District
of Columbia" the report said.
Taking the period from 1913-l9li
through 1922-1923 as whole, the
net increase of the high schools of
Washington is 6.015 pupils. making
pupils each year. To accommodate
satisfactorily these pupils the equiv
lent Of three high school buildings
equal in size to the Eastern High
School would have been necessary.
Eastern Getting Crowded.
The new Eastern High School
with accommodations for 1900 pupils
was opened on March /. 1923. There
were 1850 pupils enrolled in the
school. and" transferred to the new
building. 1t is confidently expected
that the enrolment will approximate
ly reach the capacity of the building
during the school years of 1923-1924
School buildings in Washington
continue to be inadequate In guam
tity and most OF them unsatisfactory
in quality to take care of the school
population" the report continued.
The annual increase in enrollemnt
in elementary schools is at a greater
rate during the past three years than
1t was during the preceding period
From 1913 to 1920, the average an
nual increase was 786 pupils per year
whereas the average annual increase
during the past three years was SIC
pupils per year.
The annual increase in enrolment
of $40 pupils requires an increase OF
90 classrooms. At the prevailing cost
of $4,000 or $4,000 per classroom
the increased enrolment alone rep
resents. and requires, an annual ex-
pendlture Of 100000. The present
congestion in the schools of Wash
ington is the result OF not having
met squarely these demands due to
normal growth"