Evening star., 1944-09-06
Alexandra Schools
Open; Fairfax Board
Rejects Closing Plea
Prince Georges Doctors
Ask Postponement
of Closes in County

SsOSSSS tu SouHty
Fairfax County schools remained
open today after the County School
Beard yesterday turned down q
request by . group Of Falls Church
parents to postpone the opening
Of schools because Of reported new
infantle paralysis cases in the
area.
Alexandria schools began their
fall term today with instructions to
the teaching stafis to pay particu-
lar attention to health conditions
in cafeterias. Alexandria school
onicials said no protests have been
made against the regular opening
Of schools theres
Meanwhile, the scheduled opening
Of the. Prince Georges County
schools Oh Monday was protested
lass night by the County Medical
Society, and in Arlington County a
group Of parents said today they
would request another weeks delay
In the opening of schools there.
The Arlington County school OPEN
ing. scheduled for yesterday, was
postponed a week on recommends
tions from parents and health ON
cials.
Montgomery Plans UNCHANGED.
In Montgomery County schools
will open Monday as scheduled, with
registrations OF students at most
high schools In the county scheduled
from 2 to 4 pm. tomorrow, school
oAcials said.
Decision to keep Fairfax County
schools open was made after DIR.
Nelson Podolnick, county health Of
ficer, told the board that in his opin-
Ion there would be no danger of
infection from students mingling at
schools.
DR., Podolnick said that no new
cases Of polio have been reported
in the county since one case was
taken to Children's Hospital Friday,
and that since July l, only three
cases have been reported In the
county. He said that he could not
recommend that schQSls be closed
Mrs. G. A. Justusson, president of
the Fairfax County Federation of
ert-Teacher Associations, said
she would. be opposed to closing
schools unless circumstances should
arise that would warrant such
action.
Parents Keeping Children Home.
Mrs. Helen Regan, president of
the Falls Church Parent-Teacher
Association, said today that since
the county health department had
no reports of new cases there was
little more the group could do to
close the schools.
Mrs. Regan said approximately IS
parents who attended protest
meeting at Madison School Monday
night would continue to keep their
children out of school She pointed
out that while school registration
records yesterday at Madison School
showed about $50 students absent.
a nunber OF parents who registered
their children the first day of school
are keeping them at home until the
polio epidemic abates.
Or. Aaron Dietz, president of the
Prince Georges County Medical So
ciety. said the society went on
record last night as recommending
that school opening in the county
be postponed two weeks because of
the prevalence Of polio. He said at
the end of that period the society
would then recommend if schools
should be kept closed for a longer
time.
Gardner Shugart. county super
intendent of schools, said he had
not yet received the society's rec
ommendation and could take no ac-
ton until he can study the matter.
New Arlington Postponement Asked.
Mrs. William E. Spencer, men,
Der OF a group of Arlington parents
who originally recommended that
schools remain closed until after
the peak OF the polio epidemic, said
her group will petition school OH
cials to keep schools closed another
week unless marked drop in the
number of polio cases has been
noted by tomorrow.
Mrs. Spencer said statistics indi-
Gated that the peak in polio epi-
denies comes between September is
and 20, adding that lone more week
seems very little She said two
new cases were reported in the
county over the week end.
In announcing that the schools
will remain open, the Fairfax Coun-
ty board said that teachers have
been instructed to observe closely
all students to determine any signs
# illness" The board said teachers
ll'send any i'll students home at
once, and that parents will be re-
quested to keep children at home
who show even the slightest signs
Of Illness"
Meanwhile, Virginia State helath
officials expressed the opinion that
there Is no need to delay the OPEN
ing OF schools, scheduled to begin
the fall term tomorrow throughout
thesstate,
N u n -