Evening star., 1936-01-23
BOARD TO PROCEED
ON SCHOOL PLANS
Budget Bureaus Gag Held
Not Applicable to Build
ing Program.

The Board of Education will pro-
ceed to draft its proposed five-year
building program and will hear the
demands of citizens for needed i'm
provements in the school system with
out submitting the project to the
Budget Bureau in advance.
This was decided at special meet
ing yesterday afternoon when DR..
Frank w. Ballou, superintendent,
raised the question of whether the
board could continue its work in view
of the gag" order of the Budget
Bureau.
Henry l. Quinn and Henry Gilligan,
lawyer members of the board, and
Robert A. Maurer, law professor at
Georgetown University. agreed that
the order does not apply to hearing
the suggestions from citizens or the
preparation of definite proposals for
new buildings. They held that the
order concerned only the support or
opposition to pending legislation and
before committees of Congress.
Mrs. Marion Wade Doyle, presi-
dent, also pointed out that there is
nothing to prevent presentation of the
program to Congress even if it should
fail to meet with approval of the
Budget Bureau and the National
Emergency Council.
Special Meeting February 7.
Consequently the board decided to
hold special meeting on the night
of Friday, February Z. when citizens
associations, parent-teacher aSSocia-
tions. and others interested in the
schools can present their views on
what the school system needs.
At the same time, school authorities
will outline for the public just what
provisions are made in the pending
budget and what items were elimin-
ated by the Commissioners and the
Budget Bureau
George M. Whitwell voted against
proceeding with the building pro-
gram plans, asserting that an outline
Of the purpose of the proposal should
first be submitted to the Budget Bu-
reau. If it is rejected, he said, there
is no use spending the time required
to draft the legislation needed.
Quinn insisted that the work would
have to be done sometime and even
If it is turned down now there is no
reason for putting of the task.
IF the Budget Bureau turns it down
and the people of Washington want
it," he said eve haven't any right to
stand in the way; we should give 1t to
them"
School Need Reports.
DR.. Ballou submitted three general
reports on the needs Of the schools,
one covering antiquated buildings from
so to 81 years old that are still in use:
another on the needs of the vocational
schools and the third on the junior
high schools.
He listed "a school buildings erected
between 1864 and 1886 that are still
being used, all of which. he said,
should be replaced. They are the
Wallach, Anthony Bowen, Stevens,
Abbot, Franklin Administration. Lin
coin, Seaton, Sumner, Cranch, Jeffer-
son, Lovejoy, Curtis, Cardozo. Force,
Peabody, Henry, Gales, Hamilton, Van
Buren, Annex, Amidon, Banneker.
Grant, Old Central High (now the
Abbot VocationaD, Morse. Twining.
Blair, Dennison, Webster, Wormley,
Addison, Weightman and Maury.
The junior high school report
showed that with the addition Of the
School, the white junior
high schools, with total capacity OF
II 1,012, have an enrolment of 12.750.
an excess of 1873. The colored Junior
high schools, with a capacity of 5,155,
have an enrolment of $3.50, an ex-
cess of 684:
Congestion and Growth.
DR.. Ballou did not make specific
to relieve the con-
zestion or to take care Of contem-
plated growth in school population.
He also said that at least 8 or 10
more reports will be submitted for
Of the Finance Com
nittee before specific legislation is
drafted.
Because of this and several other
financial matters, another special
meeting of the board was called for
next Monday at 3 o'clock. On the
same afternoon the Personnel Com
nittee will meet to recommend ap-
of three teachers on the
Wilson Teachers College faculty and
he appointment of successor to Miss
sarah E. Simons. retired, as head Of
he department of English in the
white high schools.