Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-09-18
DISTRICTS SCHOOL PROBLEM
Facilities for Education of Youth Re-
proach to the National Capital
BY LANES E. CHINN.'

they should spend there. There were
more than 1000 children in part-time
classes last year and the number may
be doubled this year, according to
present indications.
The overcrowding in the school sys-
TEN is due to three factors: First
in the population OF the city. The
second factor is due to the large num-
Der of pupils who are continuing
through high school instead of leav-
ing school either at IA years of age
or at the end Of the elementary school
term. During the war period the de-
mand for any sort of help drew many
pupils out Of school. Under present
conditions they are remaining in q
very large measure. At the same time
general recognition in the community
Of the value Of a high school educa-
tion and the wide variety Of educa-
tional opportunity offered in WASH
ington's public schools, has held the
school population to these higher
fields. Moreover, while a few years
ago 1t was customary in business to
require that young people going into
employment should have at least an
elementary school education. it Is be-
coming now increasingly common to
through high school,
The third factor seriously affecting
the accommodation situation is that
of shift of population. Since the war
there has been a steady trend OF city
population from all sections to the
Northwest especially, and to some
extent to the Northeast suburbs. The
Northwest section has grown with
remarkable rapidity. While the drift
from other sections was not sufll-
GENTLY heavy to close out buildings
or to permit of much consolidation
of classes, in the aggregate IL was
sufficient seriously to overburden the
schools in the Northwest, which were
already crowded. Some Of the most
serious building problems, therefore
ar. those which concern the schools
in Mount Pleasant, Columbia Heights,
Brightwood. Petworth, Chevy Chase
and Takoma Park.
1t is in these sections that officials
are now centering their attention
Opening of the new mcfarland Junior
High School. on Iowa avenue, last
year aided the situation but little.
The new Bancroft School, in Mount
Pleasant, will not help conditions ma =
terially. The greatest hope for relief
in this section is in the Raymond
School now under construction near
Sixteenth street and Spring road
This building, however. will not be
ready for occupancy before the be-
ginning of the second semester, on
February /. 1925.
School officials had originally plan
ned to alleviate the situation at the
Takoma Park and the r. V Brown
schools, the latter in Chevy Chase, by
transferring "A portable to each OF
these buildings. Recent demands OF
the citizens Of these two communi-
ties for the introduction of the pla-
tOOn system of education at these
buildings have held their plans in
allegiance, until the Board of Educa-
ton takes final action on the propo-
sition. Regardless OF the boards de
ciSion, Chevy Chase and Takoma
Park will be given additional TEN
porary school facilities. The other
communities must accept the unde-
sirable acknowledgements and part
time classes in increasing numbers.