Evening star., 1925-08-16

Assisted by a corps of outside archi-
tects. Municipal Architect Albert L..
Harris and his regular staff of school
designers have made considerable
progress on the plans and sketches for
the first group of public schools to be
erected under the initial installment of
the gigantic $1s,000,000 f1ve-year build
ing program.
Plans for eight elementary buildings
have been drawn, and the municipal
architect now is centering his work on
the development of three Junior high
school projects as we'll as the new Nc
Kinley Technical High School. Soon
after the beginning of the new calen-
dar year Mr.. Harris expects to be
ready to advertise for bids on the
junior high schools. but he will not
have the Mckinley plans finished be
fore Spring.
Plans Are Completed.
The eight new elementary school
projects for which plans have been
completed follow: A siXteenroom
building on Calvert street west of Con
necticut avenue; a 16roem building in
Brightwood; an S-room addition to the
Bell School; an S-room building at
Fifth and Sheridan streets (Manor
Park; an S-room building at Fifth and
Buchanan streets; an S-room addition
to the Brightwood Park School, and
an S-room addition 10 the Park View
School
Plans also have been drawn for the
construction of two wings and com
bined gymnasium and assembly hall
at the Macfarland Junior High School,
and the contract already has been let
for the gymna sium and assembly hall.
Bids for the construction of the two
wings, however, exceeded the available
appropriation, and this part of the
project will be held IN abeyance until
additional funds are provided by Con
gress.
Two Contracts Let.
OF the eight elementary schools for
which plans have been completed.
only two are under contract-the new
Calvert Street School and the Bell ad
dition-and indications are that the
other projects will he delayed some
what because the appropriations pro-
vided by Congress are too meager.
The Park View addition, however, has
been held up temporarily on account
of the opposition by the residents of
the community to the erection of the
eight rooms as a third dstory addi-
ton. The Commissioners and the
Board of Education. it is pointed out,
feel that the eight rooms cannot be
added as an extension to the present
building, as advocated by the Park
View citizens, without impairing the
light and air
The Manor Park and the Fifth and
Buchanan streets porjects also have
been temporarily withdrawn, due to
inadequate funds. In each case the
contractors bid exceeded the appro-
priations available. Bids for both of
these structures, according to Mr..
Harris, will be readVertiSed in NOvem-
ber.
Delayed for Funds.
Work on the Brightwood Park ad-
dition likewise has been delayed due
to the shortage of funds, but Mr..
Harris proposes to readVertise for
bids before September /, and is con-
fident that the money provided for
this building is sufficient. The Bruce
School addition has been shunted
aside until next year, as the School
Board plans to reconsidei the project.
Those. buildings ON which contracts
have been iet-the. Calvert, Street
School and the Bell addition-Mr.
Harris expects to be completed at the
beginning of the new school term in
September, 1926. If the District au-
thorities succeed in letting contracts
for the Manor Park, the Fifth and
Buchanan streets and the Brightwood
Park projects this Fall, Mr.. Harris
believes they, too, will be ready for oc-
cupancy in September. 1926.
The Junior high school plans, on
which Mr.. Harris and assistants are
focusing their attention now, include
the Stuart, Francis and Randall. It is
likely that contracts for the construc-
ton of these buildings will be let in