Evening star., 1925-09-20

y
educational system staggering as it
has since the war under a heavy OYER
load
A pre-school opening survey De ffi-
cials last night showed that the Sum-
mer has produced little in the way Of
additional physical equipmere to allie
viate the seemingly chrcc1c over
crowded conditions. Thus, the schools
will be forced to operate with many
of the makeshifts adopted as tempor-
ary expedients at the outset of the
congested period.
Relief in Sight.
Relief is in sight. however, and that
is more than the officials could see
upon the educational horizon at the
inception of the last school term. Con
tracts have been let for the construc-
ton Of six new schools or additions
provided in the initial installment of
the fve-year building program None
is expected to be ready for occupancy
for at least another year. These
buildings, the Brightwood, Manor
Park, North Petworth. Brightwood
Park addition, Calvert street and the
Bell, are in the very heart of the
sections where congestion is most
serious.
Save the belated completion of the
additions TO Western and Armstrong
High Schools, school officials would
have nothing new 70 offer in the build
Ing line. Both Of these annexes, still
lacking many finishing touches, will
be opened tomorrow morning as a
greeting to the returning students
All Of the 76 one-room portable.
used last year to accommodate the
overflow from regular schools have
been marshaled for another year Of
active duty. Their portability has
enabled school authorities TO shift
them about during the Summer to the
ever-changing points Of congestion.
High School Situation Better.
Opening of the Western and Arm
strong additions will relieve the high
school situation materially. Already
the portable colony consisting of 13 of
the one-room structures has been
moved from the rear of Armstrong in
anticipation of the permanent relief
afforded by the new annex. Western,
too, will go back on fulltime sched.
ule for the first time in more than
three years, but its 26-room addition
will do no more than absorb the pres
ent student body and this years
prOpeCtlVe increase.
Although the elementary system
has no new buildings TO house the
children, additional accommodations
the traIsfer of 13 portables from
Armstrong. The white schools got
the majority of these buildings. but
in return gave to the colored system
the eight-room Twining School on
Third street between n and o streets.
Innovation to Be Launched.
The new health school at Thir-
teenth and Allison streets is destined
to make its debut TO the school sys-
tenn tomorrow, but as far as reliev-
ing congestion, it will have no part
The building merely replaces the an
tiquated Hamilton School on Blad-
ensburg road, which was condemned
most vigorously by educators be-
cause it had a cemetery as its chief
environment. The psychological eff
feet of a cemetery on tubercular in
fected children, it was argued, was
not conducive 10 rapid Improvement
Overcrowding in the high schools is
not expected to increase seriously this
year, officials believing that the ele-
mentary schools will bear the burden
of the enlarged enrolment. The
Junior high schools are now success
fully contributing their share to the
relief of the senior institutions and
the authorities look to nothing but
more physical equipment to remedy
the situation in the elementary sys-
TEN.
$4,000 Total Likely.
The compulsory education law,
which undoubtedly will force many
children between IA and 16 years of
age back into school this year, has
made it exceedingly difficult for off,
cials to estimate the number of new
pupils likely to be enrolled. Con-
servatively, they figure the growth
will be between 800 and 1000 pupils,
the maximum figure Of which would
bring the total enrolment in the sys-
tenn to 60 ,000
A major portion of the prospective
increase in the opinion of the officials
will be housed in the Burroughs,
Brightwood, West, Petworth, Bright
wood Park, the John Eaton and the
Tenley schools. All are surrounded
by new real estate developments.
Out in the rapidly developing
Woodbridge section, where permanent
school facilities are lacking, a port
able colony has been erected for the
| buildings located at Central and
Carlton avenues, which will house a
| kindergarten, first, second, third and
fourth grade class.
More Congestion Looms.
In the surrounding territory also,
crowded conditions will prevail, per-
haps to a greater extent than last
year. Portables have been placed at
the Brookland, Burroughs, and Lang
don schools, and despite their use,
some part-time classes probably will
be organized
Part-time classes also are expected
to be formed in virtually all of the
schools which will serve the newly
developed sections of the northwest.
The officials will not be in a position
to cope with the situation at these
schools until the final registrations
and transfers are checked.
According to present indications, all
of the senior high schools, with the
exception of Central and Dunbar, will
be free this year of platoon or stag
ger-hour systems of. operation. About
one-third of Centrals enrolment of
5000 students will be on a part-time
basis, while Dunbar will continue its
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