Evening star., 1941-11-28
0rem's Report
Hits Lack OF
School Rooms
Enrolment Growing,
Teachers Leaving,
Says Official
By Staff Correspondent of The Star.

u
UPPER MARLBORO. Md, Nov.
28-Between 1000 and $500 Prince
Georges County school children are
attending schools with inadequate
or unsatisfactory accommodations"
Nicholas Orem, superintendent OF
county schools, said today in his
annual report.
Glasses are housed in makeshift
quarters in Easements and audi
toriumS and other rooms not
originally intended for class use.
and some schools have become so
crowded that halliday schedule is
being employed. the report said.
School enrolment has been In
creasing at the rate of 900 to 1000
pupils annually. and if it continues
at this rate space shortage in
September, 1912, will be even more
serious than it is at present, Mr..
Orem reported.
Earlier this week the School
Board decided TO apply to the
Federal Works Agency for a grant
OF S48,25l to provide teaching and
transportation services for the new
school children of Greenbelt. where
1000 new families begin tenancy
December Is, and the children at the
Government reservation of Fort
Washington. The application covers
the remainder of the present school
yePr and that beginning September,
19t2.
Last July the board asked the
agency for grant of S29o 600 TO
build new school at Greenbelt.
Neither request has been heard from,
Mr.. Orem said
Priorities Awaited.
A bond issue of s50O.OOO was sold
last month and the board is ready
to begin construction when priorities
on steel and cement have been
granted by the Government. Mr..
Orem said that these grants would
accommodate present pupils and also
allow for expected growth in the
county for the next few years.
A further difficulty experienced
by the board has been the increas-
ing number of vacancies in the
faculties of county schools. Out
OF a staff of 553 teachers 10
have resigned since last July l.
Mr.. Orem said he expects the
vacancies to reach ~ per cent of
/ the staff by the end of the wear.
Maryland law makes it difficult to
/ ind teachers with the necessary
qualltlcatlons. End therefore many
OF the newly hired teachers have
been qualified as substitutes, the
report added.
I Teachers salaries in Prince
Georges County are low in COM
parlson with those in other nearby
/ counties. and in addition MANY
have left to take positions tn the
Federal Government. A beginning
teacher is paid only $1,000 a year,
and assistant teachers of long ex-
perience receive only $3.50 as a
top salary. Prince Georges County
teachers receive lower annual COM
| pensaton than carpenters helpers.
| hod carriers or coal miners, the
report said.
NJ. L. Survey Cited.
A survey conducted last winter
by the school Of educa ton of the
/ University of Maryland was re-
! ferred to in the superintendent
report. The survey recommended
reorganization of the system into
one of six elementary years. three
/ Junior high school years and three
senior high school years instead Of
| the present system of eight ele-
/ mentarv grades and a four-year
| high school course.
! A second recommendation sug.
gested revision of the high school
curriculum to meet more fully the
need of students who will not at
tend college. 1t was stressed that
the curriculum should be able to
meet the needs of all children and
not only those of particular in
come group. 1t was recommended
that four senior high schools be
built and the present high school
buildings used to house the pros
pective junior highs, except at
| Marlboro and Laurel Junior
! senior consultations there are rec
commended. These recommendations
are being studied by group led
by G. Gardner Shugart. assistant
superintendent of schools
The report again pointed out that
Prince Georges County operates the
cheapest schools in the State.
Pupil Costs Reported.
eve are not at all proud or satis-
fed with our rank in this respect,
but we do take pardonable pride in
our efforts to secure as good school
services as possible with the funds
that are granted to US, and while we
shall continue our efforts to induce
the county more literally to support
It's schools and more adequately take
care of its children, we.shall also
| continue our efforts to secure as
much education as possible for each
school tax dollar Mr. Orem said.
A series OF statistical tables show
that transportation of school chill
dren costs s14.29 per pupil annually.
average costs of education per pupil
annually varied from the one-teacher
school figure of $5866 to that of the
three or more teacher schools Of
S454 White high school education,
which cost s85.46 a year per pupil,
was the greatest pupil cost, accord
ing to the report. The figure for
colored high schools was S8362
The auditors report for the year
| ending July 81. 1941, showed cash
on deposit August l, 1910, amounting
to $28,834.30, receipts of Sl,119,45678,
disbursements of S1,106,34062, leav-
ing a balance of $13116.16 on July
81, 194.