Evening star., 1942-07-01
Board Rejects
Plan for Glasses
In Religion
Holds Thut Courses
Should Be Outside
School Hours

of religious education on released
public school time during the next
school year.
The proposal originated in Joint
committee of Catholic, Potestant
and Jewish clergy last April and
contemplated weekday religious in
struction on school time for pupils
whose parents requested it. The
worship would have been in churches
of the individual pupils faith. Cost
would be borne by the churches.
Action came at the final meeting
of the board before its summer recess
and was based on the point that on
an hour-a-week basis, the suggested
program would take up the equiva-
lent of seven school days during the
year at time when, through Sc
lectlve service and rationing regis
tration, pupils this year already lost
six school days.
Fears Further Time Losses.
Supt. Frank w. Ballou predicted
the likelihood of similar losses of
time during the rest of the war. DR.,
Ballou also said that to release
pupils during the school day would
slow down school classes since no
new instruction could reasonably be
undertaken in the absence Of the
released pupils.
The board members and DR.. Ballou
concurred heartily in the reasons for
increasing religious education, but
objected to the conclusion that it be
a part of the school day.
In series of other actions the
members swept clear their heavily
loaded docket and recessed until
September 9. Mrs. Henry Grattan
Doyle was reelected president,
post she has held since July, 1885,
and Robert A. Maurer was renamed
vice president.
Redistribution of positions in the
custodial and engineering force by
the Civil Service Commission Will
be pushed by the board to improve
a situation by which it is difficult to
hold good custodians in the system
and to replace them with qualified
men at present salary.
Col. Charles 1. Stengle of the
American Federation of Govern
ment Employees appeared before the
board to approve its support of the
reclassif1cation and to urge further
Improvements in the working hours
and pay and qualifications of the
school custodians.
The War Department was granted
| permission to use public school
classrooms and typewriters for
training in shorthand and typing
of Federal employees found made
quate in these fields.
Use of school buildings from 7
IN. to 9 pm. July 9 and 10 and
from 7 am. to l pm. Saturday,
July IL, for gasoline rationing reg
istration was approved
Consolidation of the Latin depart
ment and the modern foreign Ian
guages department into a depart
ment of foreign languages in the
white schools was approved and
Miss Emile Margaret White. a Ian
guages teacher at Central High
School since 1908, was made its
head.
DIR. Newton Retired.
Retirement of DR.. Elmer S. New
ton. veteran principal of Western
High School, effective August 81,
was approved with statement in
corporated in the record of his out
standing service. Considerable sup
port is marshalling behind Assistant
Principal Robert Anderson to sue
ceed him in the form of letters to
the board
The Wallach and Lenex Schools
were consolidated into school
group and the French School was
turned over to the Commissioners
as no longer useful for school pur-
poses.
Reporting an increasing number
of school personnel leaving the sys-
tenn for work with the Federal Gov
ernment that is not strictly of war
Importance. DIR. Ballou was author
lied to 60 thoroughly into all appli-
cations for leave to accept other
employment to determine whether
the person is more important to the
school system or the proposed job.
if it is not strictly war proposition.
The first report on public school
participation in the AFRAID test
June 2 indicated general satisfac-
ton with the results but emphasized
that % white elementary schools
and two senior high schools could
not hear the siren, that 10 white
elementary and eight junior high
schools and 20 colored elementary
schools heard the sirens with diff
flculty. Many schools received no
telephone warning of Washington
red" and many complained of in
sufficient ventilation in the areas
selected as shelter sections.