Evening star., 1943-09-20
Enrolment Cut
Sharply in DC.
Public Schools
Threat of Rain
Reduces Attendance e
In Elementary Units

ment heavily today as 178 public
schools opened their doors to thou
sands OF students all over the Dis
trict. Threat of rain also caused
low enrolment in temporary ele-
mentary schools.
Offlcials had expected enrolment
to be low in any case. When gray
skies threatened this morning, par
ents of elementary school chill
dren from to 7 years old tele-
phoned school officials they would
bring their children in for the first
time tomorrow. Officials had ex-
pected elementary scools to show
the only normal" registration in
the system.
The new Benning Elementary
School. for example, fully equipped
and ready for students on Benning
road near Minnesota avenue Sc,
had a smaller opening -day attend
ance than had been anticipated
Boy patrols, wearing slickers, said
that crowds of children passing
their corners on the way to other
elementary schools certainly looked
small to u.s."
High Schools Reduced.
Low registration in vocational and
high schools, however, is expected
to be permanent all through the
year. Less than 100 registered this
morning at Abbot Vocational School
Seventh and o streets NV, where
prewar enrolment used to average
about 400. Students stay only long
enough to learn rudiments of q
trade before getting a job, Principal
w. F.. Smith said. He said turn
over Of students would be well over
100 per cent before the end of the
school year.
The War Manpower Commission
will step into the working student
picture tomorrow when it sends
counselors to confer with boys and
girls applying for work permits at
the Franklin School An observer
from VINO was at the Office of the
school attendance officer this morn
ing to observe how many youngsters
applied for permits. Meanwhile.
hundreds OF students applied for
part-work, part-study programs at
vocational, Junior and senior high
schools this morning, Robert l..
Haycock, acting superintendent of
schools, declared.
1 AAA Maps Safety Plan.
Final plans for school, child safety
today and throughout the year were
mapped early today at the annual
District American Automobile AS
sociAtion School Safety Patrol Co.
ordinators' breakfast at the Wash
ington Hotel.
Representatives of the local and
national AAA and the District
schools We're present to honor the
IA n11tce- -cn-ordinaters and to pledge
co-operation with their schoolboy
safety patrol work.
Pointing out that 1868 children
attended the AAA School Safety
Patrol Ofhcers' Training Camp dur
ing the summer. Washington /.
Cleveland, manager of the. District
AAA, who presided at the breakfast,
commended the 13 police co-ordi-
nators for splendid work despite
wartime difficulties He said the
camp this year was the best since
it was founded.
Robert l.. Haycock, acting SUPER
intendent of schools, complimented
the police and AAA on the summer
camp. He said the Schoolboy Patrol
work is distinct character building
experience.
You are fine example of man
hood and leadership he told the
officers.
New Personnel a Problem,
Mr.. Haycock said the year Is
startingA out with great promise,
but added that new pupils and new
drivers in the city will still con-
stitute problem, especially be-
tween the morning hours of and 9.
Inspector Arthur E. Miller, in
charge of traffic, stated that the
metropolitan police are ready to
assume the responsibility of get
ting pupils to and from school
safely. Expressing optimism, he
advised police co-ordinators to take
whatever steps are necessary to
educate motorists to their respon-
sibilities.
Burton Marsh, AAA director of
trafflc and safety engineering, paid
tribute to Washington for having a
group of men experienced in school
safety work.
Other speakers were Adelbert w.
Lee, new member of the Board of
Education; Sergt Forest l.. Bin
sWanger, director of the Police Bows
Clubs; 1t. Joseph D. Harrington.
mack inspector; DR.. R. w. Eayes,
principal of Thompson School, who
headed the education program at
Ine summer camp, and George
Hammond of the District AAA.
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