Evening star., 1941-09-14
School Officials
Set for Opening
September u
Plans Made to Meet
Congestion Problem
Across Eastern Branch
BY JOHN w. THOMPSON, Jr.

Faced with a defense congestion
problem across the Eastern Branch,
school officials are now completing
plans to start the school year for
more than 10000 public school chill
dren September %.
Despite the fact that three new
school buildings and purchase of
three land sites have been authorized
in the Southeast section alone, COM
pletlonS will not be coming along
until February at the earliest and
only one new structure-the addi-
ton at the Montgomery School in
the NorthWest-willb be brought into
use this September to make this one
of the leanest in recent years in
school construction.
School officials were cognizant of
the mushroom growth in AnacoStia
as far back as last March, and began
laying their plans ahead. The result
is that despite the lack of new build
ings in the area the children will
be provided for, even if few part
time classes are necessary at Van
Buren School and possibly at the
Benning School.
Will Register Early.
As a protection against any un-
foreseen enrolment problems in the
section, however, the principals of
the schools in the section have con-
ferred with Acting Supt. Robert L.
Haycock and are to register their
students this week rather than on
September %.
Principal source of congestion will
be the new Navy Department de-
velopment between Boiling Field and
the Naval Research Laboratories
where 800 families have moved in.
The principal of the Ketcham-Van
Buren School is planning to visit
the development in the next few
days and conduct school registra-
ton there.
The vocational schools have been
humming all summer on a near "a
hour basis and the opening for them
will be just another date on the
calendar, although many new pupils
are expected in this non-academic
side of the school system.
Teachers Confer Friday.
The 5000 teachers will be going
into conference with their heads of
departments and supervising prin-
cipals Friday and getting the last
minute details of administration
ready.
Only note of discord as the sys-
tenn readies itself is the protest of
the International Union of Operat-
ing Engineers against the continu-
ance in Office of Robert E. Robson,
superintendent of custodians. The
matter is before the Personnel Com
mittee of the Board of Education.
Mr.. Robson was appointed last
summer on retirement of William
McQueeny, who had held the job for
some so years. The new superin-
tendent was chief engineer of
Brentwood Village development.
At the time of his appointment
the union, an A. F. L. affiliate, OBJ
jected that an in-service promotion
should have been made. The school
board considered the protest and
replied that consideration had been
given to in-service candidates and
that Mr.. Robson had the best quail
fications. The union has now re-
neWed its protest, charging that on
the basis of Mr. Robson's record, a
superior in-service promotion could
have been made.
Ballou Returns Soon.
Supt. Frank w. Ballou is still out
of town and is not expected back un-
til early October when he will again
assume the direction of the schools.
Still pending is the matter of the
high school cadet uniforms which
must be decided immediately-prob-
ably Wednesday-to enable ordering
before prices rise too steeply. The
plan suggested by school officers as
an economy measure to permit boys
with lesser means to join the cadet
ranks, is to make the present coat
optional and simply require the
white shirt and black tie for drills.
This would cut to some $40 the cost
of new uniform since the blouse
alone costs about $12. School board
members, however, have had some
protests against tampering with the
traditional cadet garb, and are hop
ing for some response from the par
ents Of senior high school boys in
(See PTTRJ JC SCHOOIS Do Fly