Evening star., 1935-11-03
COUNTY SCHOOLS
FACE CONGESTION
Civic Federation President
Points to Need of P. W. A.
Fund in Montgomery.

By STAFF Correspondent of The Star.
ROCKVILLE, Md, November e.
Congestion of alarming proportions
will develop in seven county schools
unless the s794,OO0 construction pro-
gram now hanging fire is completed
before the opening Of the 1867
term, Robert E. Bondy, president of
the Montgomery County Civic Fedora
tion, declared today.
Bcudy pointed to recent survey
made of Montgomery's future school
requirements and asserted that 1t
clearly indicates the necessity Of the
county commissioners taking immedi-
ate action to accept the appropriation
approved by the P. w. A. for new ad-
ditions to the local system.
Confer Tomorrow.
The federation's chieftain and sew
eral members of his official staff are
to confer with the commissioners to-
morrow afternoon to urge them to
take up the Federal grant and loan
and begin work at once on the new
structures. The ALLEGATION was made
available by the P. w. A. several
mouths ago, but has been ignored by
the County Board.
Bondy said that the countrywide
study made some time ago by Prof.
N. L. Engelhardt of Columbia Uni
versity, who Is universally recognized
as the United States foremost au-
thority on school planning, disclosed
that the program now peuding is
needed if the county is to maintain
its high standards of education.
Only through immediate construc-
ton of the six new additions to ex-
isting buildings and the new Junior
high school provided in the program
can the county hope to cope with the
normal enrolment increase that will
materialize when the institutions open
next September for the new term,
Bondy pointed out.
Crowded Schools.
The schools whose capacity IS al
ready taxed, or will be exceeded by
next term, are the senior high schools
at Bethesda and Silver Spring, the
elementary schools at Rockville and
Damascus, Sherwood High School at
Sandy Spring and the Takoma Park
Silver Spring Junior High School.
1t is shown in the report of Prof
Engelhardt's findings that the new
senior high school at Bethesda, which
was opened last month, already is
taxed by its enrolment and that addi-
tons are required Immediately.
His report also discloses that the
enrolment at the new senior high
school in Silver Spring will equal, if
not exceed, the capacity of that build
ing during the 1867 term Judging
from the normal growth in high school
enrolment in Montgomery.
The enrolment at Takoma Park
Silver Spring Junior High School ex-
ceeds the capacity of that institution
by more than 100 pupils and Prof.
Engelhardt's recommendations con-
tain a suggestion that the first unit
of a new junior high school be con-
structed at Silver Spring.
Mass Meeting Looms.
Bondy declared that similar condi-
tions exist in the other institutions
which would be improved by develop
ment of the proposed program and
stated that it is the duty of the county
commissioners to take immediate ac-
ton to provide for the additional
units.
1t was revealed that more than q
score of parent-teacher associations
and citizens groups have assured the
civic federation they will support that
organization in its drive to have the
commissioners take up the Federal
funds
A public mass meeting probably
will be called next week if the COM
missioners refuse to accept the grant
and loan, it is said.
The commissioners failure to re-
ceive the appropriation has come as
a complete surprise to civic leaders
for the board appealed to the p. w.
A. for the appropriation and took the
precaution of having the State Legis-
lature pass an act authorizing the
sale of county bonds to build the
schools should the application be re-
iected by Federal authorities.