Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-05-08
School Building
Program to Aid
Colored Pupils
Board Orders Transfer
In Two Places to
End overcrowding
By Colt HendIey, Jr.

y
The transfer Of two elementary
schools from white to colored pupils
and sweeping changes in the long
range school building program were
ordered by the Board Of Education
yesterday In an effort to give relief
to the city's overcrowded colored
schools.
The board ordered:
!. That the Pierce Elementary
School. Fourteenth and q streets
NE, and the Taylor Elementary
School, Seventh near G street NE.
be turned over to colored pupils
at the beginning Of the fall term.
Call for New High School.
2. That plans for an addition to
the Armstrong High School (col-
oredD be Cancelled and new Arm.
strong High School be built at Sixth
and Florida avenue NE.
3. That the Bell Vocational High
School (white), Seventh and o
streets NV, be transferred to
facilities at Central High School.
Thirteenth and Clifton streets NV.
4. That the Veterans High School
Center at Central High School be
transferred, temporarily, to the Bell
Vocational High School Building.
S. That the site Of the Bell School
be held for construction of q new
Shaw Junior High School (coloreO.
The present Shaw School Is located
at Seventh street and Rhode Island
avenue NV.
Central High Remodeling.
s. That Central High School be
remodeled to accommodate the Bell
facilities. This modification was es-
timated to cost about 100000.
The recommendation for the
changes in the overall construction
plans were made to the board by
School Superintendent Hobart M.
Corning and the District architects
office. Authorization and appropri-
atoms will have to be sought from
Congress In future budgets.
DR.. Garnet C. wilkinson, assis-
tant superintendent of schools,
pointed out in his report to the
board on the transfer OF the two
elementary schools for use by COL
ored pupils that 1t would be only
on a temporary basis, pending con-
struction of new schools elsewhere.
Oppose Outmoded Buildings.
'The colored citizens are stoutly
opposed to the transfer Of outmoded
school buildings" DR.. Wilkinson
said. "They do not desire any policy
which will postpone indefinitely or
defeat the building program already
under way"
DR.. Corning concurred in this
feeling but said ut Is better to have
children on full time instruction.
even though that involves use Of
comparatively undesirable build
ings."
Use of these two buildings are
expected to cut down on the num-
Der OF part-time classes at the
Logan School, Third and G streets
NE, the Young School, Twenty
fourth and Benning road NE, and
the Lovejoy School, Twelfth and D
streets NE.
School records show that, In these
three schools, nearly 1000 children
are going to school part time. Pierce
and Taylor schools have combined
capacity of about TOO.
One to Population Shift.
DR.. Corning told the board all the
other changes were recommended to
meet the shifting population trends
In the city.
Central High School can handle
the vocational work done at the
Bell School because the enrolment
there is well below capacity. Arm
strong High School, he said, is in
location which prevents adequate
expansion. After the new ARM
strong School is erected, the old one
probably will be used for occupa-
tional classes for backward colored
pupils.
The demand for veterans training
is expected to drop off sharply with
in the next few years and what re-
mains can be handled in other
schools, such as the Parkview
School, which houses 300 veterans
at present, he pointed out.
Retirements Approved.
The board approved the retire.
ments of:
Miss M. Alvina Carroll, secretary
in the school superintendent office,
after So years in the school system,
effective June &c. Miss Carroll, who
lives at 2701 Connecticut avenue
NV, has served under five school
superintendents.
Miss Mary G. Worthley, 46, mathe-
mates teacher who has been on sick
leave from Western High School,
after is years of service.
Mrs. Bella B. Thompson, 10. Of
|57 U street NV, a music teacher
at Mckinley High School, after -
years of service.
Two promotions were approved,
that of John D. Koontz, 1902 Massa-
chusetts avenue NE, from teacher
to assistant principal at Kramer
Junior High School, and Miss vir-
ginia Ronsaville, AZ West WASH
ington street, Kensington, Nd, from
teacher to assistant principal at the
Woodrow Wilson High School.
The board accepted the offer of
5000 scholarship to June graduate
at Dunbar High School from the