The Washington times., 1931-10-09
NEW PORTABLES
BEGUN, READY
IN Z WEEKS
Benning Crowded, Absorbs
Higher Grades; Old School
Building Razing Is Near

OutluIItY bl0GulS 10 NV0l
Students of Kenilworth School,
dismissed yesterday because Of
the threatening collapse of the
building, today enjoyed a whole
or partial holiday.
Seventy-seven of the students,
representing the fifth, sixth, sew
enth and eighth grades, trooped
to Benning School this morning
and answered the assembly bell.
Assembly in Basement
Some few were accommodated
in class rooms which were not
already crowded and the others
assembled in a basement room
around wooden tables and ON
long wooden benches.
Mrs. G. e. Kelsey, superinten.
dent of Benning, and Miss M.
E. Bannon, principal of the Ken
ilworth, were in charge of the
situation and after half hour
pupils in the basement room were
sent to their homes under in.
struction to report back to the
school on Monday.
Mrs. Kelsey said the reason the
children were sent home was be-
cause all their equipment was
still at the Kenilworth School.
This will be removed to Benning
School today or tomorrow and
arrangements made to take care
of all the II high-grade students.
Part Time Schedule
In order to do this, however,
some of the Benning students
and some of the Kenilworth stu
dents will be put on a parttime
schedule.
Discussing the situation, Mrs.
Kelsey said:
eve anticipate no great hard.
ship. The condition is one
which was not anticipated and
everyone is doing everything to
make the best Of it. We were
large family before and we
are still larger now, but we be-
lieve everyone will be happy"
Mrs. Kelsey said that during
the day half of her storeroom
would be cleared out and turned
over to the Kenilworth teachers
for supplies.
Had 26O Enrolment
Benning School, according to
figures of october ! when the last
attendance report was made, had
an enrolment of 260 students,
distributed through the eight
grades of the school.
While the principals and teach"
ers were striving to temporarily
care for the upper-grade pupils,
school officials were rushing plans
for construction of portables.
Lumber was unloaded both at
the Benning and the KenilwOrth
today, and the municipal archi-
tect's office announced that work
men would begin construction Of
the portables at once, working
overtime in speedy completion.
Three POrtableS On Way
One portable is to be built on
the playground at Benning, while
two are to be constructed in the
rear of the Kenilworth.
No decision has been made to-
day as to whether the Kenilworth
School would be raZed, but that
step was considered as highly
probable. The crack in the front
wall, which rendered the building
unsafe, cannot be repaired, it was
said. The crack resulted from
settling of the frontal foundation
of the school.
Until the portables at the Kenil-
worth are built, students Of the
first, second, third, and fourth
grades, numbering 76, will not
have to attend school, according
to Mrs. L. F. Rogers, supervising
principal of division six, which
| includes both the Kenilworth and
the Benning.
Too Young to Travel
No effort was made to trans
fer these children, since it was
believed they are too young to
travel a considerable distance to
school. The Benning, located on
Minnesota Avenue, Northeast,
near Benning Road, is almost a
mile from the Kenilworth, at
141O Kenilworth Ave. N. E.
Due to the abandonment Of the
KeniIworth, DR.. Frank w. Ballou,
superintendent of schools, plans
to ask Congress for an emer.
gency appropriation for q building.