Evening star., 1924-09-21
SCHOOLS TO OPEN
WITH $1,000 PUPILS
Portable Buildings, Oversize
and Part-Time Classes to
Relieve Congestion.

Another scholastic year for the ju-
venile population of the District will
begin it's course tomorrow as the pub
lie schools reopen for the 1924-25
term. Not a detail has been over
looked by school authorities to insure
smooth operation of the great educa-
tional system when it resumes func-
tioning after the annual three month
standstili
Overcrowding, the perennial bugc
boo of school officials, returns with
the new term, even more intensified
than last year when educational eff
cheney was a degree sacrificed to ac-
commodate $1,000 children in build
ings originally designed for $4,000. II
the annual increment In enrollmen mt
maintains its stride of the last sew
Feral years, and indications are that
it will. the schools this year will be
forced to house $1,000 and perhaps
10000 children.
Only One New Building.
In the face of a 1000 or 5000 in
crease only one additional school
building has been added to the per-
manent facilities of the school sys-
tem-the eight-room Bancroft, at
Eighteenth and Newton streets,
which opens it's doors for the first
time tomorrow morning to the chill
dren of Mount Pleasant. An eIev-
enth- hour failure to complete the in
stallation of the heating plant in the
Thomson School at Twelfth and L
streets, with it's new six-room addi-
ton, forcing this building to remain
closed at least another week, has
maEnified the already serious prob
lem of congestion.
Portables. oversize, and part-tinle
classes and other temporary expe-
dients due to congestion will again
play an important part in alleviating
conditions which the Board of Edu-
cation and school authorities have
tried vainly for n number of years to
eradicate through increased congress
sional appropriations. There will be
more oversize and part-time classes
than ever before. Additional port
ables could be used advantageously
but there are no funds available to
provide them.
Aid From Junior Highs.
Overcrowding in the elementary
schools looms more serious than in
the secondary institutions. The high
school situation will be relieved by
the junior high schools. which, for
the first time, are drawing sizeabIe
quotas from thei long congested
senior high schools. The 1000 in
crease expected in the senior high
schools will be absorbed by the
junior high schools, leaving the
former institutions to carry virtually
the same sized student bodies as
during the last scholastic year
Seven junior high schools will be
in operation tomorrow, one more
than last year. The Powell School
will be converted into a junior in
stitution by February 1, 1925, adding
the eighth link in this new system,
which was first introduced in Wash
ington in 1919.
The old Jefferson School at Sixth
street and Maryland avenue south
west, changed from an elementary
school to junior high school during
the Summer, tomorrow morning will
offer its popular curriculum to the
youth of southwest Washington.
More than 400 pupils already have en-
rolled The work of equipping the
school for its new educational service
has not been entirely completed, but
1t has progressed to such a stage.
according to school officers that there
is no necessity for delaying its open
ing.
Keep Up Staggered Hours.
Although not anticipating any ma
terial enlargement in their student
bodies over the last school year, Busi-
ness, Central and Western will be
forced to continue operation on the
emergency two-shift or staggered hour
plans. New Eastern expects to have
an enrolment Of 1.700-20O short of
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