Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-09-06
School Needs.

AT tle outset VI tlle uePAe''Ao'A 'O
Washington public school system was
rapidly making up for the severe setbacks
of the war years, during which appro-
priations were reduced during period
when the city's population experienced
rapid growth, AS the result OF the
tardily enacted f1ve-year program OF
school buildings, large amount OF new
construction had been or was being COM
pleted and the teaching force had been
increased in some proportion to the
demands. The school systems facili-
ties have never been current with needs
in building or teacher personnel. but
the paralyzing effect of the war years
was being overcome.
Then came the depression, and the
experience of the war has been in some
degree repeated. School appropriations
have not kept pace with the demands
of a normally increasing population,
plus the extraordinary growth resulting
from the influx of new Government
workers to man the agencies OF the New
Deal. New building has been kept to
the minimum of emergency require
ments and the teaching personnel eX-
handed only to the extent made neceS-
sary by new building.
That is the general background for
the estimates of school needs submitted
to the Commissioners by Superintendent
Ballou and the Board of Education.
Conditions in the schools, representing
depression years of neglect, reflect in
general the conditions in other depart
ments of the District government. But
there will be little disagreement with
the fact that the schools must come first.
No function of local government is more
vital than public education, and the
needs of none of them outweigh the
needs of the schools.
These needs, as laid before the Com
nisSionerS, contemplate new building
program, together with substantial
increase in the force of teachers to take
care not only OF the new schools coming
into use in the next fiscal year. but, as
outlined by Mr.. Gilligan, Ito relieve
congestion In the schools and in the
case of Junior and senior high schools
to reduce the number of pupils per
teacher. This is an urgent need and
Is one to which the Commissioners are
invited to give serious consideration"
A building program looks to future
needs, and the school authorities have
outlined the need for new buildings that
will have become acute by the time
three or four years hence-that the
buildings might be completed. But the
need for teacher-force expansion, to cut
down the size of some of the disgrace
fully crowded classes and to guarantee
maintenance Of normal educational
standards, is immediate and pressing.
It cannot be delayed.
The Board Of Education and the school
authorities are limited in their ability
to do more than present the needs of
Tic sCIloolS dilu W d1suc 3oi tiiCn uie4u-
sion in the budget. The school needs
must run the gantlet Of Commissioner
and Budget Bureau appraisal before
even being presented to Congress. These
agencies, at the same time, must view
school needs as relative in presenting the
total estimates for the District. But
they may safely regard school needs as
outweighing in importance most of the
others. Next year should mark the be-
ginning in the work of rebuilding the
school system after the depression.