Evening star., 1935-03-17

This is the first ct a series OF urtt-
OF District schools The Board OF Edu-
cation has submitted a list Of these
projects to the District Commissioners
in the hope that they may be included
in the neU public works program.
Overcrowding in the public school
system of Washington has reached
the point that more than score of
new construction projects have been
filed with the Public Works Admins
tration with the request that they be
placed on the new P w. A. program
as soon as Congress makes the money
available.
The Board of Education wants not
only to relieve the heavily congested
buildings it now has. but also desires
to replace outmoded structures that
have long since passed their days Of
safety and usefulness.
Surveying the more pressing needs,
the board has found that some pupils
are forced to attend schools in an
tiquated buildings heated by old
fashioned stoves and without sani-
tary conveniences.
Others are crowded into basement
rooms, never intended for classes. or
into unfinished quarters left when
the Government economy program
halted construction.
In one school, more than one grade
is forced to occupy a single room
Some grades are wholly crowded out
of other schools and children have
to travel long distances in order to
attend classes at all.
Needs Force Action.
Needs have accumulated in recent
years until the Board of Education
believes it cannot afford to postpone
longer the more pressing demands.
Included in the list sent to the P.
W. A. is the completion of two new
school buildings. Both have been
added to the public school system
within the last four years. They were
incomplete, however, when the Gov
ernment economy program halted the
work. Now they have reached the
point of croWding at which additional
class rooms are imperative.
Both were built with an eye to the
future, being extensible type build
ings, and each has an unfinished sec
ond floor, four walls, a floor and
ceiling. Both need to be divided into
class rooms at once.
They are the Rose Lees Hardy
School, at Foxhal road and Volta
place, and the Alexander r. Shepherd
School, at Fourteenth and Kalmia
streets. The Hardy School was first
used in the Fall of 1888. The Shep-
herd School opened the preceding
Autumn.
The Board of Education has asked
for $4,000 each to complete them.
Both Included in Survey.
Both projects were also included
in a survey recently transmitted to
Secretary Ickes, public works admin
istrator, by Dr. John w. Studebaker.
United States commissioner of edu-
cation, showing school construction
needs throughout the country and
urging that schools be placed first on
the P W. A. program.
The Hardy School is situated in
Foxhall Village, one of the fastest
growing communities in the city. |
When it was opened in 1888 there I
was an enrolment of 140 pupils. |
This has jumped up to 172 and Rob-
ert L. Haycock, assistant superintend-
ent of schools, pointed out that there
are now three classes in the school |
of more than 40 pupils each.
Educators believe that the maxi
mum limit for classes should be IS
or 36. More than that gives the
teacher too much to care for the in
needs of the children.
At the nearby Millard Fillmore |
School, on Thirty-fifth street, between
r and s streets, there are four such
overcrowded classes. At the Joseph |
r. West School, on Farragut street,
between Thirteenth and Fourteenth |
streets, also not far distant, similar
condition exists.
Could Share Burden.
Both of these elementary schools |
would be enabled to share their extra |
heavy load with the Hardy School If |
the six added class rooms, and facil- |
ties for industrial arts and kinder
earten classes included in the new
building scheme. could be realized.
COMPLETION of the second floor |
would also mean the completion of |
The first two-story wing Of the build
ing that eventually can be made twice
as large by the addition of a duplicate
wing when and If it is needed. The
extensible plan also provides for an |