Evening star., 1943-09-20
Enrolment Cut
Sharply in DC.
Public Schools
Threat of Rain
Reduces Attendance
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
temporary low enrolment in ele-
mentary schools
Officials had expected enrolment
to be low in any case. When gray
skies threatened this morning, par
ents of elementary school chill
dren from to 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 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."
Sharper Cut Anticipated.
Low as registration was in the
senior high schools, some of the
principals had anticipated it would
be even lower.
Il was discouraged but I'm not
now Principal Lawrence Hoover of
Central High School said. THE
classrooms seem to be quite full"
There are lot more pupils than
we expected" Assistant Principal
William Short of Eastern High
School reported.
Preliminary figures on enrolment
will be issued tomorrow morning.
Official figures will not be given out
until Wednesday because several
hundred students usually make
belated appearance to register that
morning.
One School Cut IS Per Cent.
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 a
trade before getting job, Principal
w. F. Smith said He said turn
over OF students would be we'll 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 bows 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 to4observe how many youngsters
applied for permits. Meanwhile.
hQndMds Of students applied for
paft art-study programs 1t
YQGati9na lp,junior and senior high
Schools this morning, Robert 1.
Haycock, acting superintendent OF
schools, declared.
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
ISOLATION School Safety Patrol Co.
ordlnators' breakfast at the Wash
ington Hotel.
Representatives of the local and
national AAA and the District
schools were present to honor the
l3 police co-ordinators and to pledge
cooperation with their schoolboy
safety patrol work.
Pointing out that 1863 children
attended the AAA School Safety
Patrol Officers Training Camp dur
ing the summer, Washington 1.
Cleveland, manager of the District
AAA, who presided at the breakfast.
commended the l3 police co-ordi-
nators for splendid work despite
wartime difficulties. He said the
camp this year was the best since
1t was founded.
Acting Supt. Haycock compli-
mented the police and AAA on the
summer camp. He said the School,
boy Patrol work Is a distinct char
acter-building experience
You are a fine example of man.
hood and leadership he told the
officers.
New Personnel a Problem.
Mr.. Haycock said the year is
starting out with great promise.
but added that new pupils and new
drivers in the city will still con-
stltute a problem, especially be-
tween the morning hours of 8 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
traffic 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 Boys
Clubs; 1t. Joseph D. Harrington.
hack inspector; Dr. r. w. Eaves,
principal Of Thompson School, who
headed the education program at
the summer camp, and George
Hammond of the District AAA.