Evening star., 1946-05-31
G| Summer School
ImperiIed Unless
CONGRESS Votes Funds

If 500 Washington veterans are to
attend high school this summer,
Congress soon will have to appro-
pirate special funds to carry the
sessions at the Central High School
veterans center, it was learned to-
day.
DR.. Chester H. Holmes, assistant
superintendent in charge of high
schools, said requests for the funds
are now before the Senate subcom-
mittee studying the District budget
Original estimates of the veterans
center needs only covered winter
sessions, DR.. Holmes said, explain
ing that plans for the summer
school were arranged and submitted
about six weeks ago-too late for
consideration by the House commit
tee action on educational appropria-
tions.
Plans call for the summer school
to open July l.
Will Advertise for Teachers.
"As it stands now, we'll have to
go ahead with tentative plans
whether the appropriations are
made or not" DR.. Holmes declared.
He said he will advertise for teach
ers in about two weeks, with the
understanding that they possibly
will not even be used"
At the same time, officials at the
school are making plans on the same
basis.
THE situation has been explained
to the students, and we're going
ahead with a tentative enrolment
Monday" according to DR.. Robert G.
Vanderlip, assistant director for vet
erans' education. Mr.. Vanderlip
estimated that about 270 of these
men already in school want to sign
up for the summer school and that
new students will raise the total to
500.
If the summer school is opened,
it will mark the first new class since
the school reached a capacity of
533 students early in April, Mr..
Vanderlip said. At that time, num-
bers of students who were turned
away were advised to wait until
they could enroll for the summer
classes.
500 Students Enrolled.
At the present time, more than
500 students are in classes, the di-
rector said, with the number drop
ping every day. THE decrease is
due to the irregularity with which
students finish their courses" he
explained, because they are allowed
to progress in classes according to
their ability" The system of allow
ing veterans to work at their own
speeds was established to handle
men who began at different dates,
and for those who enrolled in a few
scattered courses, the director said
However, plans for the summer
school, he said, call for all the stu
dents to progress as classes through
the intensive nine-week course.
With no other summer school
scheduled at Central, Mr.. Vanderlip
said summer school would open
unlimited facilities-long problem
for use by the veterans. To handle
the large enrolment, the center now
occupies IA classrooms on a double
shift, with classes running from $3.50
am. to 1:5O pm, and from 1880
to 6 pm.
Expressing hope the school can be
continued in July, the director laud-
ed the enthusiasm" of students to-
ward the plan. Even with the sum-
mer sessions, Mr.. Vanderlip pre-
dicted a large enrolment for the fall
sessions, beginning September %.
DR.. Holmes said he was certain
the Congress wants to do every
thing possible to aid the veterans, -
but emphasized the Importance of
fast action if the ex-servicemen are
to have any schooling at all during
the next few months.