Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-07-31

Citizens 10 Seek
Arlington School
Bond Issue
Petition Is Circulated;
Superintendent to Tell
Of Proposed Program

AS a drive got under way today
to gather signatures to a petition
for a school bond issue of S3250,000,
the Arlington School Board directed
Supt. Fletcher Kemp to set a hear
ing for the Citizens Committee for
School Improvement to discuss the
merits of the proposed building pro-
gram.
Mr.. Kemp told the board last
night that the committees petition
has absolutely no value" until the
School Board adopts a resolution
setting forth the manner In which
funds would be expended.
He said this cannot be determined
until a study is made of school
system needs, accompanied by an
accurate estimate of cost.
Program Would Cost Five Million.
Jackson W. Ross, board chairman,
suggested the bonds could be delayed
during the present labor and ma
terials shortage. In the interim, he
added, loans from the State School
Literary Fund could be obtained to
finance essential construction.
Mr.. Kemp estimated the proposed
school construction program, at
current prices, would be approxi-
mately s5,500,000.
Plans to assemble signatures to the
petition were launched at an organ
ization meeting last night of the
committee in the Pershing drive
Christian Church.
Want 10000 Signatures.
Five district chairman were Sc
lected to head committees which
will canvass their areas.
Although the petition requires
1000 signatures, Mrs. John H.
Woodwork, general canvassing
chairman, said the organizations
goal has been set at 10000.
Chairmen for the various areas,
which are grouped around the
county senior and junior high
schools, are Mrs. M. D. Miller, 1888
North Quintana street, Claude
Swanson Junior High School area;
Mrs. E. S. Barber, 2809 North Sec
ond road, Thomas jefferson Junior
High School; Mrs. c. r. Evans, 5767
North Fairfax drive, Washington
Lee High School; Mrs. Sheldon
Dean, 922 North Randolph street,
Dolly Madison Junior High School,
and Mrs. Esther I. Cooper, 500
South Veitch street, Hoffman-Bos
ton High School.
rs Elementary Addition Needed.
DR.. Oscar R. LIE Beau, Bond Issue
Committee chairman, described sec
ondary school needs estimated to
cost 81 1873 900. Mrs. j. Malcolm Mil
Ter recommended 26 elementary
school additions at a cost of $780,
000
Other reports included one by L.
F. Masoner urging expansion to in
fclude full-day sessions in the first
and second grades, at cost of 1894
1000 and one by Nicholas Cottrell
supporting added facilities to re-
lieve the load in the third through
the sixth grades, estimated to cost
s560,000.
The next meeting of the group Is
scheduled August Is at the church.
The school board last night also
approved the appointment of 81
teachers on Mr. Kemp's recon-
mendation. Mr.. Ross said the full
list of appointments will be an
nounced when all vacancies are
filled. Charles r. Walsh, assistant
superintendent, said about so vacan-
cies remain.
The board deferred action on a
petition signed by 302 residents of
South Arlington recommending the
name of the elementary school now
under construction at Fourteenth
and South Quincy streets be changed
from Merriwether Lewis to the Lena
H. Carey School.
Other actions of the board in
cluded award of a contract to Rose
Brothers, Arlington, for repairs to
the Henry Clay Elementary School
and the Kemper and John Langston
Colored Elementary Schools, esti-
mated at S3,352.