Evening star., 1934-03-18

rooms heated by stoves, and entrance
halls. In many cases these 'undesira-
bic rooms are really not rooms at all.
Congestion also has shown itself
III the elementary schools by the large
number Of oversize classes. The
Board of Education has ruled that
so far as practicable, not more than
40 pupils shall be assigned to one
teacher in the elementary schools. 1t
Is impossible for teachers to give the
proper individual attention to pupils
in oversize classes DR. Ballou states
that Sc class rooms are necessary to
relieve this situation
DR.. Ballou was quoted by the Sena-
tor as having found that in the ele-
mentary schools 33 per cent of all
classes enroll more than 40 pupils.
The number of such oversize classes
was greater in 1888 than in 1880 or
1925. He showed further that IS part
time classes now necessary could be
eliminated by construction of eight
additional class rooms.
Junior Schools Overcrowded.
"A serious situation is presented by
the junior high schools" the Sena-
tor continued. of the Is schools of
this type, only six are operating
within their normal capacity. In the
10 other JUNIOR high schools the en-
rollment has exceeded the capacity
by total Of 1,l72 pupils. These fig
ures, DR.. Ballou states. show the need
for two new junior high schools.
THE senior high schools. of which
Washington has eight, have exceeded
their capacity in all but one case.
with a total excess enrolment of
1883. Dr. Ballou holds that an ad-
ditional senior high school is required
to accommodate the excess enroll
ment.
But perhaps the most critical
phase of DR.. Ballous report is that
which has to do with undesirable
school buildings, In 1906 Congress
created a School House Commission
to study school building needs in the
District. When the commission re-
ported in 1908 it recommended imme-
Gate abandonment of certain old
buildings and the early abandonment
of eight additional buildings. OF the
eight buildings recommended for early
abandonment, four are still being
used. One is the Jefferson, now a
junior high school. The others, ele-
mentary schools. are the Force, Lin
coin and Webster buildings. The four
other buildings which were recon-
mended for early abandonment in
1908, while no longer used for class
rooms, still are being utilized for va
rious school purposes.
80 Buildings in Use.
Thirty school buildings erected be-
tween the years 1864 and ls84-the
latter year being just half a century
ago-are still in use. practically all
OF them are still used for classroom
instruction. Is it any wonder that
public criticism of sanitation. venti-
latlon and heat in many of these
buildings has become widespread?
DR.. Ballou tells us that rapid in
creases in school enrollments required
that attention be given to construction
OF new buildings to take care of the
increased number Of pupils. ConSe-
quently, little was done to replace
buildings which were unfit for further
use as schools"
Senator Capper said charts pre-
pared by District Auditor Donovan
show that in 1928 a fraction over 80
cents of each dollar appropriated for
the District was being spent for edu-
cation. and that it has been reduced
to % cents of each tax dollar for
1888.
In connection with his suggestion
for withdrawal of District estimates
from Budget Bureau control. Senator
Capper said the Commissioners of
the District are certainly capable of
submitting to Congress an annual
budget setting forth report of
financial operations in the past. exist
ing fiscal conditions and an estimate
of future needs. This would not only
be a logical procedure. 1t would be
fairer to the people of the District.
1t would relieve the Budget Bureau of
a task which has no proper place in
a Federal Office
In closing. Senator Capper invited
the views of local residents on the
subject. He expressed the belief it Is
false economy to postpone needed
school building projects.