Evening star., 1934-01-11
BALLOU REPORTS
CLASSES CROWDED
School Head Sees Need for
14s More Elementary
Pupil Rooms.
The District of Columbia public

The District OF Columbia pubic
schools need more class rooms to re-
duce oversize classes this year than
they have any year since 1920, 1t was
revealed in Supt. Frank w. Ballou's
annual school house accommodation
report, which he presented to the Board
of Education at Its special meeting late
yesterday.
The report shows further that the
highest number of rooms since 1880 are
needed to replace undesirable" rooms
now used for classes.
In the high school division, a short
age of accommodations for 1923 junior
high school pupils and shortage OF
accommodations for 1883 senior high
school students is shown.
Summarizing the accumulated short
age in school house accommodations,
the report indicates a need for 149
elementary scnool class rooms and for
3,211 high school pupil accommodations.
The report was presented shortly
after a large delegation of parents of
pupils in the old Grant School at
Twenty-Second and G. streets ap-
pealed to the school board for new
building to replace the present struc-
ture, which admittedly is difficult to
heat.
More Rooms Added.
High as the total elementary school
house need is shown to be in the re-
port, the figure represents gain Of 27
class rooms over last year, when the
total shortage was ITS rooms. Most
of the gross gain was in the. reduction
of primary classes. A year ago, the
system needed 38 class rooms to
eliminate part-time classes in the first
and second grades. This need now
has been reduced to 8 class rooms. A
year ago, too, three rooms were needed
to eliminate part-time above the Sec
ond grade. At present there is no
part time in the upper classes.
Gains also were made in the number
of rooms needed to eliminate frame
portables. Last year % of these
structures were in use and this year
IL remain in service.
To offset these apparent gains, how
ever, Is the sharp increase In the num-
ber of rooms needed to reduce oversize
classes throughout the city. There is
reported for this year need for Sc
pose in comparison with the need for
38 in 1928; A in 193l-32; 40 in
l930-31; 40 in 1929-30; 81 in 1928-29;
81 in 1928, and 81 in 1920-21.
The report also shows a need for
56 rooms to replace the Force, Jefferson,
Lincoln and Webster Schools. which
were recommended for early abandon
ment" in 1908
The figures in the annual school
house report are as Of November of
each year, the last official total en-
rollment prior to the Christmas holi-
days. The senior high school capacity
is officially recorded at 1890, en-
bracing 9,700 in the white schools and
1850 in the colored schools Against
these capacities are shown an enroll
ment of H. 800 in the white schools, or
shortage of $500, and an enrolment
Of 3,343 in the colored schools to give
them shortage of 283.
Separate Schools Cited.
Breaking down the high school
shortage by individual buildings, Gen.
trail, with a capacity of 2,4O0 has an
enrolment Of 2,709: Eastern, with a
capacity of 1000, has enrolled 1891:
Mckinley, whose capacity is 1900, has
a roll of $780,, Roosevelt, with a ca
pacity of 1900. is carrying LIT, and
Western, with a capacity Of 1900, has
an enrolment of 1,784. In the colored
divisions, Armstrong, the capacity of
which Is 1880, has roll Of 1904; Car
dozo, with capacity of 910, has 662,
and Dunbar, with capacity of 1,400
is caring for 1,577.
The junior high school comparative
capacity and enrolment figures show
the following condition: Deal, capacity
of $50 and roll of 907; Eliot, $50 and
755; Gordon, 1,120, and 1929: Hine,
875 and 1,067; Jefferson, 600 and 544;
Langley, 1,100 and 1906; Paul, 1920
(including accommodations in the So
called "Brightwood annex" which is
the old Brightwood Elementary SCHOOL,
and 1,210; Macfarland, 1,275 and
1,247; Powell, 870 and 1854, and
Stuart, 1880 and 1,134.
The junior high school situation in
the colored divisions is shown by:
Browne, capacity of $50 and roll Of
500; Francis, 1000, and 1856; Garnet
Patterson, 1000 and lii; Randall,
700 and 778: Shaw, 1,500 and 1882,
and Terrell. 760 and 694. !
Western Glasses staggered
AS it accepted the accommodations
report from the superintendent, the
board was asked by the school officers
to approve the staggered program"
for Western High School to become
effective with the beginning of the
February l semester. The board agreed
to the plan when it was explained
that the midyear influx of new stu
dents will place an even greater bur-
den on Western than it now carries.