Evening star., 1937-11-30
BUILDING TO BEGIN
ON HEALTH CENTER
AS PLANS MATURE
D. c. Officials Agree to Start
Construction in Short
, Time.
CUSTER OF 800 PUPILS
is DUE BY FEBRUARY |
Funds for More Land and New
Jones School to Be Asked
in Next Budget.

Under the prodding of Represen-
tative Collins, Democrat. of Mississippi,
who has charge of the District budget
estimates, District officials today
reached an agreement to start con-
struction of the Health Center, on the
site of the old Jones Elementary
School, just as soon as plans can be
whipped into shape.
The decision will mean that the 300
colored pupils of the old school will be
dispossessed by February /, and. ac-
cording to Superintendent of Schools
Frank W. Ballou, between TOO and
800 pupils will have to be put on a
part-time basis.
AS part of the agreement reached
tby the Commissioners in conference
with school, health and engineering
officials, the Commissioners will seek
in the next years budget funds for
additional land and the construction
planned also this is intended to be the
first unit of new Terrell Junior High
School.
Health Center Plans Unfinished.
Controversy between health school
and engineering officials was raised
several weeks ago when the Commits
sioners announced they would hold
progress on the Health Center until
some solution could be found for the
problem of housing for the 800 Jones
pupils. However, officials on every
hand today insisted that construction
on the Health Center had not been
delayed by the school problem for
the reason that the Health Center
plans had not been finished.
Engineer officials said they had
been working on the assumption that
the school would not be vacated until
next February /. and they said it
was their hope to advertise for bids
for the Health Center by March /.
They said the plans were not ready yet
because Of the many mechanical units
to be incorporated in the polyclinic,
including air conditioning.
The final decision today was at least
partly due to declaration yesterday
by Mr.. Collins that if the responsible
District officials did not proceed to
carry out the Appropriation Act pro-
visions he would take steps to have
site selected for the health center
and order its construction started.
$17,500 Not Enough for Land.
The Jones School is located at First
T.
late last session designated that area
as the site for the health center it ap-
propriated $500 for the purchase of
land near First and Pierce streets NV.
AS q site for the new Jones School
District officials found they could not
buy enough land for that price to pro-
vide for school with a playground
The decision today was to seek addi-
tional money for the site and to re-
quest money for construction of new
building at the same time. Budget
Omcer Daniel j. Donovan said the
item would amount to close to
S150,000.
Contemplating expansion of a new
eieht-room school building into a new
junior high school, the Commission
ers will request funds to permit the
purchase of land in the area bounded
by Pierce street on the north. First
street on the east, L street on the
, south and an alley running about 100
feet to the east of New Jersey ave-
nue.
Pupils to Be Distributed,
Beginning next February / the 800
Jones pupils will be distributed among
the several schools in the community.
The school officials said this would
necessarily cause a congestion which
would force the placing of TOO or 500
pupils on part time.
In addition to the Commissioners
and DR.. Ballou, the conference was
attended by DR.. Garnet c. Wilkinson,
assistant superintendent in charge of
colored schools; Municipal Architect
Nathan c. Wyeth; Assistant Engineer
commissioner H. S. Bishop, who has
charge OF all District of Columbia
construction; Health Officer George
c. Ruhland; Maj. Donovan and Ge-
ohrey Thornette, secretary to the
Commissioners.