Evening star., 1924-10-29
LACK OF EQUIPMENT
HAMPERS SCHOOLS
Dr.. BalIou Reports Heavy
Shortage of CIassrooms
in District.

Ninety CiaSSFoOnS FOr eleHiehtdtJ
school pupils must be opened each
year for Il period of five years II
portables. oversize classes and the
use of undesirable rooms are To be
eliminated Dr. Frank W. Ballou,
superintendent of schools. points out
in the fourth installment of his an
nual report made public today. The
superintendent also estimates that
additional accomm odationS for 1000
high school pupils should be opened
each year over the tive-year period
to take care of accumulated short
age and the prospective increase in
enrolment in the senior institutions.
With a pressing need for 459 addi-
tional claSsroomS In the graded
schools Dr. Rallou said that Con-
sress failed to appropriate in the
current District appropriation bill "a
single dollar for any new construc-
tion for either elementary, junior or
senior high schools.
These estimates are conservative
Or. Ballou declared. They are based
upon figures of actual enrolment and
conditions in our elementary schools
with respect to shortage of school
house accommodations. The eSti-
mate of increased enrolment is based
upon the increased enrolment over
the past 10 years.
459 GaxSrOoms short.
In view Of the shortage of school
house accommodations to the extent
Of 4J9 classrooms. the failure of Con-
Sress to appropriate for a single ad
ditional classroom for elementary
school purposes is thoroughly dis
appointing. 1t means that relief from
distressing conditions must be post
poned for another year.
moreover, any appropriation bill
Of the future which fails to appropri-
ate for at least 80 claSsroons for ele-
mentary school buildings and accom-
modattons for thousand high school
pupils will be likewise disappointing,
because it viii mean a poStponement
of the relief from overcrowded condi-
tions. to which the patrons of the
public schools have long looked for
ward. and which the pupils of the
District of Columbia have every right
as American citizens to expect from
Congress-"
Three hundred and thirty-six of the
t59 additional claSSroomS needed, ac-
cording to the report, will eliminate
portables, rented quarters, undesir-
able rooms and part-time classes. OF
the remainder 102 will permit the
abandonment Of buildings recon-
mended for abandonment in 1908, and
2l will permit the abandonment of
other buildings now unfit for use.
:-ss6 Excess Pupils.
In a section devoted to accommoda-
tions in the senior and junior high
schools DR.. Ballou shows that on No
vember |, 1928, there was an excess
of 2.8S6 pupils. These excess pupils
We're distributed as follows: Bust
ness. S56; Central. 976; Mckinley. sos;
Western, S41; Columbia Junior High
School, Sc; Armstrong, 176, and Dun
Lar. 542
The entire fourth section Of the
superintendents report deals with
the appropria tion act for the current
fiscal year, setting forth in detail
the Increased appropriations granted
by the Board of Education. but denied
by the Budget Bureau and Congress.
Among them DR.. Ballou classified as
an assistant superintendent for edu
cational research. a sufficient num-
bcr of teachers, clerks and janitorS.
DR.. BaIlou added, however. that
ut is gratifying to make record of
the fact that Congress provided in
creased appropriations for a conSid-
crable number of educational activ-
tiles which are carried on under lump
sum appropriations" Increased ap
preparations were allowed for the
vacation and night schools. Ameri
caniZation work. equipment for typi
cal classes. text books and supplies,
kindergarten supplies, science labor
atorics. for the maintenance of play
grounds and for the equipment of
three new junior high schools. On
the other hand, increased appropri
ationS asked for the medical inSpec-
tion service, manual training work
and equipment of new Fairgrounds
was not allowed under the lump sum
appropriations.