Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-04

schools. As in the prerious articles, there
is no attempt here to portray the school
SYSTEMS faults IN an exaggerated light.
The tuo reporters who visited each
school building are merely presenting
the conditions as they sac them.
With the exception of the Health
School for white tuberculous pupils
Wsshington's special schools are largely
makeshift experiments in the purposes
they are meant to serve.
The Health School is thoroughly mod
ern and would be ample in accommo-
dations if its roll was anywhere near
that for which the building was erected
1t was operated well and efficiently
when there was a daily attendance OF
between SO and 48, but now, with 81
boys and girls enrolled in it, the school
and its personnel is having a real Strug-
gle to provide for its charges.
The Toner Health School for colored
is wholly inadequate and, although
meant only as a temporary" expedient,
the institution already has been oper-
ating more than year under Its
present conditions and indications are
that it will continue as it is today for
at least two years more. And during
that time little children menaced by
tuberculosis, who should be receiving
schooling under the very best condi-
tions. are attending an old elementary
school building with damp basement
rooms, poorly aired class rooms and a
wet. damp walled-in play yard.
Similarly, the white and colored
schools for crippled children are more
or less makeshifts, housed as they are
in old elementary school buildings.
Efforts little short of heroic, however,
are being made to provide the little
cripples with adequate schooling &C.
commodations and treatment. The
pupils of both the health and the Grip
pied children'S schools are transported
to and from their homes by buses at
District expense.
other schools in this group include
the Webster AmericaniZation School,
the Morse School for special pupils and
several small rented properties quarter
ing manual arts centerS and other
special classes.
The building by-building description
Of these schools follows:
School for Unhealthy.
Health School (for white pupils),
Thirteenth and Allison Streets.-A mod
ern one-Story building, designed eSpe-
cially for the schooling of tubercular
children. Its facilities are excellent,
bQJs 14hC p4CcCA4b pC4oOAAAACAp Why OAN
taxed beyond capacity by existing en-
rollment of 81. There are two beat
tifully lighted and aired rest rooms"
where the pupils lie abed for an hour
and half of their school day. With
only rs beds, however, old Army cots
and invalid chairs generally have been
sought into use to accommodate the
excessive enrolment. In the girls rest
room a baby's iron crib bed, donated
fe%a Of IF the fpqPhPTC lC
used along with the other makeShifts.
There are two regular class rooms;
these differ from traditional class rooms
by virtue of three exposures which per-
NIT abundance of sunlight and fresh
air at all times. as they are on the
south side of the building. One OF
these, taught by the principal, quarters
ga, 6B, IA, 7B, ga and 8B grades;
the other houses a class ranging from
kindergarten through the ga grade.
small room on the north side of the
building, designed originally as sew
ing room, which would be used only
brief portion of the day, has been
forced into use as a third class room,
accommodating the 3B through the 5B
grades.
Lacks Large Windows.
This room lacks the large special
windows which this schools regular
class rooms have, and is equipped with
only a small blackboard at one end OF
the room and a portable blackboard in
tended for out-of-doorS use; this IS
a serious handicap because these lower
Rade pupils ordinarily have an extern
Eeve board-work program. Because OF
its location on the northwest corner OF
the building, this room gets only a
trivial bit of sunlight half hour be-
fore school is adjourned. A correspond
ing room on the northeast corner OF the
building provides fairly adequate means
for the manual arts, carpentering, loom
work and sewing.
The schools kitchen and lunch room
suffer most from the increased attend
ance A woman dietician and her
woman helper-the same personnel
staff given this department when the
schools roll was SO to 48-are burdened
with the task now of preparing two
meals q cav for the 81 children, with
the result that the dietician is con-
fined solely to the tasks of cook, with
out time for the more scientific duties
which should be hers. Because there
is only one double boiler large enough
in which to prepare a sufficient amount
Of food for the full attendance. 1t is
necessary to prepare one food at time,
resulting in delays while the receptacle
is cleansed between uses.
Old Range Condemned.
The range is an old one, condemned
for further use at the Western High
School the reporter for The Star
learned. Kitchen contains an electric
refrigerator.
The milk ration of each pupil was
cut in half yesterday when, it was re-
ported to Franklin Building officials,
money for this item was insufficient to
"a 6IV0ta
The lunch room Is equipped with
sanitary tables and backless stools. thus
reducing comfort Of the tubercular
pupils.
Two paved out-of-door courts are
provided for open-air classes. These
are located between the two one-room
classroom wings and are admirable.
The toilet rooms are modern III de-
sign and appointments and have, be-
sides the usual toilet facilities, both
shower and tub baths. The showers,
however. lack curtains and the girls
have been provided with ordinary bed
sheets; the boys room lacks this.
The basement contains only the
heating plant, storage space, vacuum
cleaning machinery and janitorial OF
flee. Scrupulous cleanliness marks the
building from basement through cor
rider and every room. The dust mem
ace of cleaning has been eliminated BY
the vacuum system. Grounds sur
rounding building also show evidence
Of excellent care.
School for COlOred.
Toner Health School (for colored
children), Twenty-fourth and F streets
This school is wholly unsuited 10 the
purpose it is charged with serving, that
Of providing schooling for colored tu-
bercular children, and il is being used
only until the proposed new health
school is erected on an extensive tract
of land in Northeast Washington. The