Evening star., 1933-12-07
TEACHERS AIDING
NEEDY STUDENTS
BaIIou Report Shows Many
Items Are Provided by
Faculty Members.

Washington school teachers have been
supplying, out of their own pockets and
through their own efforts, their needy
pupils with food. clothing. car fare,
money, medicine and even eyeglasses, 1t
was disclosed at the meeting OF the
Board of Education late yesterday by
DR.. Frank w. Ballou, superintendent OF
schools.
DR.. Ballou presented to the board .
tabulation showing the number and
kinds Of items provided the pupils by
the teachers, and the School Board was
so impressed that it ordered coolies Of
the report transmitted to the District
authorities, who yesterday urged greater
Community Chest contributions upon
the school system employees.
The superintendent's report also re-
vealed that only slight improvement in
the number of pupil absences because
Of economic stress had been made.
During the week ended November "a,
he said, 1872 pupils missed an aggregate
earlier, during the week ended October
20, 21l pupils missed 826 days.
Extent of Aid Unknown.
In the report, Dr. Ballou advised the
board, it was impossible to ascertain the
actual number of individual pupils aid
ed by their teachers and school system
officers. The items of aid, however,
were listed. The report shows that for
the single week ended November "a the
teachers themselves provided total Of
Sos lunches to needy pupils. OF these,
las were given in the elementary
schools, 141 in the junior high schools,
125 in senior high schools, 90 in the
vocational schools and 80 unclassified
The clothing item list for the same
week was extensive. The needy chill
dren were provided with 81 caps and
hats, 305 coats and overcoats, $40
dresses, 800 shirts. SO skirts. 436 pairs
of stockings, So sweaters, 225 pairs of
trousers, 374 items Of underwear and 621
miscellaneous articles Of apparel.
Besides these, the teachers gave 440
pairs of shoes.
stances. A total of $42.28 in cash was
given needy pupils. Shoe repairing was
provided in lot instances, medicine in
and eyeglasses in 2 more. OF the
cash provided, $957 went to certain
high-school students who earned" it
under a plan set up by their teachers.
Aid for Needy Obtained.
The attendance officers of the school
cJottLu, WIlO IIidue Lie survey Oh aU-
sences because of economic conditions,
themselves secured aid for 81 families
from organizations and personal
sources. The Parent Teacher Associa-
tions aided families, the Emergency
Relief Administration aided 9, Catholic
Charities 8, St. Vincent de Paul and
personal
After the board had heard the report,
which was prepared by Miss Fay L.
Bentley. judge-elect of the District OF
Columbia Juvenile Court, who now is
director of school attendance and per-
mits, board members recalled that q
second appeal for additional Community
Chest contributions was broadcast yes
terday through the school system, at
the direction of Maj. Daniel Donovan,
District auditor and key man" for the
Chest campaign. The school system
personnel so far has pledged itself to
donate $26.065.05 to the Chest fund.
This amount Is 81 per cent Of the school
systems quota" and was pledged by
3.233 employees. Mrs. Philip Sidney
Smith, board member. suggested that
the report of the contributions made by
the teachers to the welfare Of their own
needy pupils be attached to the Com
munity Chest collection report for the
schools and dispatched to the District
Building. This was agreed upon.
DR.. j. Hayden johnson, the colored