Evening star., 1941-02-19
Commissioners Study
Plea for Mount Rainier
And Brentwood School
Spokesman for Area
See Student Capacity
Exceeded in Few Years
By Staff Correspondent of The Star.

BY Staff Correspondent Of The Star.
UPPER MARLBORO, Md, Feb.
19.-The Prince Georges County
Commissioners yesterday took un-
der aovisement for a week the plea
of a Mount Rainier Brentwood dele
cation to reinstate a S200,000 school
project for their area in the Board
Of Educations new building budget,
Last week the budget was pared
from S1,059 900 to S415,00O.
The commissioners turned down
the request of a colored delegation
to have a proposed $4,000 brick
addition to the Brentwood Colored
School replaced with a new S50000
school building, the latter having
been eliminated from the budget.
The commissioners told both dele
cations that the county government
is seeking to keep the tax rate from
rising and to do this it is necessary
to limit the building program to the
most pressing requirements.
Clarence Collett of Mount Rainier,
one of the two spokesmen for the
delegation seeking a new Mount
Rainier Brentwood school. told the
commissioners the Mount Rainier
School has an enrolment of 675
pupils, With a capacity Tor 76J. Inc
other Spokesman. Roscoe Brinson,
president of the Mount Rainier
Brentwood Parent Teacher Associa- =
tion, said the Brentwood School has
an enrolment of 385 pupils with a
capacity for 485.
Sees Capacities Overtaken.
The enrolment of both schools
will go far beyond their present ca
pacities within the next two years
the Spokesmen warned, pointing to
private low-cost housing projects
springing up rapidly in the area
They also contended that unless the
project is included in the new budg-
ct, which must be approved by the
Maryland Legislature, now in SeS-
sion, there will be no other chance
of obtaining the school until the
next session of the Legislature, two
years hence.
During the discussion William A
Carson, president of the Board Of
County Commissioners, declared
that private low-cost housing prof.
ectS in the county bring in low
revenue and that "other parts of the
county must pay the bill" He saio
that individually low-cost home
owners provided less revenue to the
county than the SAT it costs an
nually to educate a child
The delegation appeared before
the commissioners after meeting in
formally with three members of the
Board of Education, who suggested
the delegation should discuss the
matter with the commissioners.
Members Of the delegation. in ad-
dition to Mr.. BrinSon and Mr.. Col
lett, were Mayor w. N. Mahaffey of
Brentwood, Hiram Wohlfart, George
Shepp. Herbert Negus, Robert Moore
and Joseph Sweeney.
Contend School Condemned.
The colored delegation contended
the Brentwood Colored School al
ready had been condemned and that
a mere addition to the school would
add little toward the solution of the
problem.
The board also heard request
by DR.. John M. ByerS, county health
officer, for legislation providing the
county with law authorizing the
health department to inspect and
regulate food handling in restau-
rants in the county. The commits
sioners suggested that DR.. Byers
outline his program in written form
for their consideration.
The commissioners took under ad-
viSement the request of a delegation
for the resurfacing and repairing
of IL miles of the Colesville road
between University lane and Metze-
rott road. They agreed to request
the State Roads Commission to in
vestigate the cost of repairing a
portion of the Nottingham -Naylor
road about 21a miles in length.
1t was also agreed that the COM
misSioners meet Thursday, March
81, instead of on Tuesday, March 25,
since Maryland day falls on the lat
ter date.