Evening star., 1940-01-10
BaNou Will Request
Funds 10 Transfer
Crippled Pupils
Authority to Change
Use Of Health School
Will Be Sought

Will BE Sou9ht
On insistence of the Kiwanis Club,
DR.. Frank w. Ballou, superintendent
Of schools, intends to ask for au-
thority and funds to enable school
authorities to transfer crippled chill
dren now attending Langdon
School to the Health School on AL
lison street, near Thirteenth street,
which soon will be vacated by its
pupils on recommendation of the
Health Department.
In making this known, DR.. Ballou
explained that an estimate will be
submitted for the Commissioners to
consider for the first deficiency bill.
The estimate would contain two i'm
portant factors: First, authority to
change the use of the school from
one class of pupils to the other;
second, to provide funds to remodel
the Health School for use by the
crippled children.
The superintendent. in planning
the change, is following out previous
action by the Board OF Education.
The board earlier had adopted the
proposal of its Advisory Committee
on Handicapped Children providing
for the change If the Health De-
partment would certify each child
now attending the Health School
could return to the regular pro-
gram without injury to any one.
The funds to be requested would
include a reappropriation for the
renovation purpose of funds already
in hand. These funds will no longer
be needed for transportation Of the
school children now attending
Health School for they are to enter
the regular schools under recon-
mendation of the Health Depart
ment.
At Work on Problem.
Finance officials of the school sys-
tenn are working on details Of the
problem involved. DR.. Ballou said. II
there is not sufIicient money left
over from the fund for transporta-
ton of pupils to and from Health
School, then new money will be
asked to take care of the renovation
Job.
DR.. Ballou explained that it would
be impossible to grant the present
request of the Kiwanis Club to move
the crippled children to the Health
School at the beginning of the new
semester, February 8. The pupils
now in Health School are to re-
main there until they complete their
term, for the benefit Of the pupils
themselves, and to prevent change
in the middle of a term. Much
remodeling of the building will be
necessary, he explained, before the
building can be changed over from
its special construction for treat
ment of children threatened with
tuberculosis, to treatment Of crippled
children.
There has been q wide difference
Of opinion between school authorities
on one hand and members Of the
Kiwanis Club on the other, as to
the minimum expense necessary to
remodel the building.
No Bids Would Be Needed.
II funds are made available by
Congress in the first deficiency bill,
DR.. Ballou said plans for remodeling
would be worked out by the shop
which handles school repairs, and
the job could 60 forward immedi-
ately without the delay occasioned
when contracts have to be let after
advertising for bids. He could make
no definite estimate as to when this
plan would make the school avail
able for the crippled children. He
emphasized they were well cared for
IN their present quarters in the
Langdon School, where much money
had been spent for special thera-
peutic equipment for their treat
ment.
Among things which will have
to be done to the Health School, he
explained, will be building of Z
ramp, reconstruction Of the sun
room" which was designed for
furnishing fresh air and sunlight
with little heat, into another kind
of room, where plenty Of heat, and
therapeutic equipment for treat
ment by hot water can be installed.
In addition, he said. more steam
lines will have to be laid from the
heating plant in the nearby Den
nison School, to the Health School,
and sewage outlets enlarged to
take care of the additional water
disposal created by the hydro
therapy used for the crippled chill
dren.
The Kiwanis Club has contended
that the cost of absolutely neces-
sary repairs would be much less
than that estimated by school au-
thorities, and that other things
could be added when funds became
available.
Members of the club had pre-
sented their case to DR.. Ballou In
a "two-hour conversation" in his
office, the superintendent explained
He said there was mo possibility
whatsoever OF making adequate ar
rangements for the transfer Of these
pupils by the end of this semester ,
Wants Expense at Minimum.
The Kiwanis Club takes the posi-
ton that "the expense at this time
should be held to the minimum, and
the money taken from the funds
now on hand, without the difhculty
and uncertainty Of seeking . defi-
cheney appropriation"
DR.. Ballou explained in an inter-
view with The Star that there were
substantially mo free funds" in the
repair fund, which had all been
"earmarked" for specific projects tc
which they had been assigned in
the school budget itself. He felt
however, that the proposal to re-
appropriate monies no longer needed
for transportation Of the pupils nov
at the health school would be more
acceptable to Congress than a re.
ollest for new funds. and likely