Evening star., 1939-09-21
Board Delays
Decision on
Health Schools
Will Await Committee
Report on Facilities
For Handicapped

The Board of Education will await
q report from its advisory committee
on handicapped children before con-
sidering proposal to put back into
the regular schools children with
arrested cases of tuberculosis who
are now taught at special health
schools.
The proposal further provided
that the two health schools would
be made over as special schools for
the crippled children now in special
classes at regular elem entary schools.
At the same time Acting Supt. of
Schools Robert L. Haycock an
nounced he was hopeful that the
w. P A. project which last year
provided visiting teachers for more
than 300 shut-inS would be con-
tinued. He said he had been asked
by Capt. j. L. Persons, District
w. P. A. co-ordinator, to draw up
papers covering the project. Last
year the children were taught in
several hospital clinics and in a
number of cases in the homes by a
corps of more than 20 teachers and
supervisors. A rigid in-service pro-
gram of instruction for the teachers
was also employed under the $18 900
project.
Expense of Conversion.
Decision to await the report of
the advisory committee was made at
a meeting yesterday after Mr.. Hay
cock told the members it would re-
quire between $500 and $4,000 to
make over the white health schools
at Thirteenth and Allison street to
house the crippled children now at
the Langdon School.
The colored tuberculosis children
are cared for at the Toner School,
Twenty-fourth and F streets NV,
and the colored crippled classes at
the Anthony Bowen.
Mr. Haycock pointed out that un-
less the remodeling was specifically
appropriated for it would have to
be done out OF funds for repair and
maintenance of the buildings and
contingent expenses. These, he
added, have been less than neces-
sary for even current expenses and
changes of such a major nature as
would be required would divert
funds from other necessary repairs
and slow up the program.
Drayton Backs Move.
Meanwhile, Charles D. Drayton,
q lawyer member of the board. also
supported the move to await the ad-
visory groups report, although at
the previous meeting he had asked
for speedy action on the matter.
Mr.. Drayton explained he had Wis
tied both the Allison street and
Langdon schools during the last
week and had been impressed with
the facilities at each. He said he
had taken his earlier stand on the
basis of a report from a local civic
group interested in the crippled
children. but the visit had not borne
out many of the points made in the
report.
Two points appear headed for
controversy when the Advisory
Committee gets together to consider
the matter, it was explained. There
are said to be two schools of thought
on the advisability of putting the
health school children back into the
regular schools despite the nom
contagiousness of their infection be-
cause of the special rest, food and
course treatment involved. There
are also said to be two schools of
thought on the advisability of segre-
eating the crippled children in spe-
cial schools. Under the present
system, Mr.. Drayton pointed out,
contact with normal children is
maintained in certain assemblies at
the Langdon, although all the
necessary equipment is available
and the necessary transportation
planned.
Abandonment of the health
schools has the recommendation of
Health Officer George c. Rutland.