Evening star., 1932-12-17
SCHOOLS WILL TRY
TO OSAVE ON REPAIRS
Much Work May Be Given to
Outside Contractors, Dr..
Ba!Iou Says.

school repair work from the District of
Columbia Repair Shop to outside con-
tractors probably will be undertaken by
the Commissioners as an economy
measure. it was revealed by DR.. Frank
w. Ballou. superintendent Of schools.
at the joint conference on the 1884
budget between the Board Of Education
and delegates from various civic organ
izations last night.
DR. BaIlou was explaining the effects
of the reduction of the repairs to build
ings item in the budget as set UP by
the Bureau of the Budget from S475,0CO
sought by the School Board to $3.50, 900.
Much of this saving, he advised the
citizens, was expected by Harold F.
Baker. District of Columbia director of
construction, to be effected by using up
present large stores of materials and
through the existing lower price scale
of supplies which will have to be pur-
chased.
And don't believe I am revealing
any secrets when I tell you this-as a
matter OF fact there should be no Sc
crets about public business" DR.. Ballou
continued-"it is contemplated to have
much of the repair work on our schools
done by outside contractors as the need
for the work arises
Shop Creates Problems.
The operation of the District of Co.
lumbia Repair Shop has presented
numerous problems to District officials
for years. The insistence of its minis
trative officers that a year-around
schedule of work be maintained in order
TO 80 of
1t has been charged by opponents of
this system, has resulted in frequent
delays of repair projects. Instead of
concentrating school repair tasks for
completion curing the Summer vaca-
ton, they have shown. work frequently
is delayed until sessions are resumed
and then performed "on schedule"
with resultant disruptions to classes.
In his discussion of other items in
the 1884 budget DR.. Ballou reiterated
previous statements that unless con-
struction is begun on the new Woodrow
Wilson High School in the Reno Sec
ton Of Chevy Chase in the immediate
future serious congestion will confront
would be thrown on double-shift pro-
gram. and probably one other high
school. A serious situation confronts
the senior high schools, he warned, un-
less the $500,00 item for the begin
ming of construction now in the budget
is appropriated at the current session
of Congress
A REQUEST by one of the citizens as
sociatiCn delegates for an explanation
as to how the Woodrow Wilson High
School was given precedent over the
proposed senior high school for Manor
Park, even though the site for the lat
ter school already was purchased. drew
from the superintendent the admission
that the senior high schools are con-
fronted with the most serious conges-
ton in their history. This is due
largely, DR.. Ballou explained, to the
fact that more children are continuing
in school for the high school course. A
high school will be erected in Manor
Park, he promised, as potential need
for it is admitted by school authorities.
The purchase of the Manor Park
site at the time it was bought. DR..
Bailou explained, did not establish the
precedent of that building over any
other, but marked merely the foresight
of officials in buying a sufficiently large
tract while it was still available. Mean
while Western High School was forced
once on a double-shift program, which
gives pupils only half a days schooling,
and when relieved by the opening of
additions to the Borden Junior High
School again is threatened BY the
doubling UP of classes. Thus, the Su-
perintendent explained in response to
the question, the relative importance of
immediate construction of the school at
Reno was established.
The two high school projects were
not undertaken simultaneously, DR..
Bailou added, because that would have
required approximately 100000 in
prevent virtually all other construction
| embarrassment elsewhere in the system.
"An Important Omission"
Dr. Ballou characterized the failure
of the Budget Bureau to retain in the
budget the item of $6,400 for two Ii
brarianS as 'an important omission"
These librarians, he pointed out, were
to be assigned to the Wilson and the
Miner Teachers Colleges, in compli-
ance with requirements of the American
Association of Teachers Colleges, the
recognition of which District school
authorities are anxious to secure for
the local colleges in justice to the
students who are attending them.
Likewise, DR.. Ballou asserted. the
reduction of the item of $4,000 for the
Teachers College library equipment to
$4,000 was blow at efforts to secure
recognition for the two institutions.
The total of $50 900 was based on estt-
mates OF the cost of providing the
library facilities which would meet the
standards set up b. the American As
sociation of Teachers Colleges.
While it previously was shown that
only out of 20 building projects sought
by the School Board were carried IN
| the budget as-set up by the Bureau Of