Evening star., 1928-11-25
Planning of Proposed Second
Five-Year Building Project
Heads List.
IMPROVED BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT STUDIED
Better Instruction and Increase in
Facilities for Abnormal
Pupils Sought.

The most comprehensive program for
constructive work in its history faces
the Board of Education for completion
during the 1925-29 season.
Entirely aside from the routine busi-
ness which the normal administration
of the schools lays upon their desks, the
board and school authorities are con-
fronted with a formidable array of
problems involving the institution of
new projects and standards for the gen.
eral improvement of school system
which, in some instances, has been tried
by the years and found wanting, and
in others simply has outgrown the old
order.
But while the task ahead is great, it
is not confused, for the program which
DR.. Frank w Ballou, superintendent of
schools, has outlined for the Board of
Education and his own staff of officers
is in good order and cognizant of the
minute details in each general item.
Four Main Divisions.
For quicker understanding, the pro-
gram may be considered in four broad
divisions, embracing ID the planning
of the proposed second f1ve-year build
ing program, 90 the improvement of
the management of the schools busl-
ness affairs, (3) the improvement OF
instruction in the schools and "a the
education of abnormal children.
Of these, the new building program
is perhaps the most important to the
majority of Washington's parents, for
through it and the first five-year pro-
gram, which, it is hoped, will be COM
pleted in the near future, the part-tlrne
classes and portable school building
along with any other result of the lack
of school facilities will be obliterated.
The first f1ve-year school building
program act, it will be recalled, was
passed February 26, 1925. and was
scheduled to be completed June 80,
1890. Appropriations for buildings and
grounds from year to year, however,
have not been sufficient to complete the
initial program. and today it Is approx
mately 55 per cent completed when it
should be 80 per cent appropriated for.
Even when completed with the ex-
penditure of its authorized S20,000,000,
the first f1ve-year program will not af-
ford the District adequate school ia
cilities. Cognizant of this fact, the
Board of Education announced last
Spring that a second five-year program
would be sought, and on April II of
this year it met III conference with rep
resentatives of the various civic groups
to receive suggestions as to the needs
for lands and buildings in the various
areas of the city.
Urges Expeditions Procedure.
DR.. Ballou already has recommended
that the Board of Education ask its
expeditiouSly as possible in the prepa-
ration of a second five-year school
building program" 1t is this task which
the board has before it now.
In its consideration of the second
building program, the Board of Edu-
cation will undertake to answer Sc
ries of questions which DR.. Ballou COM
piled for its guidance. These are:
What buildings should be aban-
doned?"
What buildings can be enlarged?"
What new buildings are needed,
and
what shall be the policy of the
Board of Education in the acquisition
To assist the board in deciding on the
abandonment of old buildings, DR.. Bal
lou will suggest that committee of
three persons possessing technical
knowledge of school needs and school
architecture, be created by the board
for the purpose of answering the t1rst
question. He recalled that in 1908, when
similar information was desired by Con-
gress, a commission consisting OF the
superintendent of schools, the Supervis-
ing architect of the United States
Treasury and the Engineer Commits
sioner of the District of Columbia, was
Ballou suggests that like personnel
compose the boards commission in its
present consideration.
VSith its present policy OF construct
ing 16-room buildings for elementary
schools in force, the authorities plan to
increase the capacities of the old,
smaller buildings to that of the new
structures. In deciding what buildings
can be so enlarged. the needs of the
community and the number of rooms
in the original unit will be studied.
Discussing this recommendation to the
Board of Education, DR.. Ballou recalls
that this general policy was lndorsed
by the Bureau of Efficiency in its sur
vey last year.
Modernizati0n to Be Studied.
Recognizing that many of the old
buildings are sufficiently serviceable to
continue to house classes, the superirl-
tendent suggests these might be recon-
ditioned to more nearly approximate the
modern structures, and the board now
plans to study the field with view to
ordering the modernization.
New buildings will be needed, DR..
Ballou has pointed out. in those COM
munities which now are developing as
residential territory, and therefore the
school boards tasks this year will enter