Evening star., 1947-10-13
Our Dual School System
Validity of Segregation May Be Tested on Complaint
That 1t Also Means Discrimination
By Colt Hendley, L.

capacity; vocational highs, 516 below capacity,
and elementary schools 1912 below capacity.
In the colored schools-junior highs, AZ over
capacity; senior highs, 934 over capacity; voca-
tional highs, 229 under capacity, and elementary
schools, 9l7 under capacity.
These figures do not tell the whole story
however.
The centers of the colored population are
located in the Georgetown section OF North
west, parts Of Southwest, Southeast north of
ST. Elizabeths Hospital, Northeast where there
has been tremendous increase in new housing
in the past few years and in the General North
west section, with the core at Seventh and
streets NV.
Schools in these areas are badly overcrowded
or nonexistent. In other sections of the city,
where the colored population is sparse but
where schools are set aside for its use, enroll
ment is far below capacity.
Obvious examples Of this are found in these
colored elementary schools Military Road,
capacity 160 enrolment ST.; Reno, capacity
100, enrolment 20; Sumner -Magruder, capacity
720 enrolment $50; Wilson, capacity $40, en-
rollment 157, and Lincoln, capacity 320, en-
rollment IS.
Nevertheless, in parts Of town more crowded
with colored families. total Of 7,15o pupils
in 16 elementary schools and two Junior high
schools were on part-time instruction. Four
white elementary schools also had 4l8 pupils
on part-time classes.
The three senior high schools for colored
students, Dunbar, Cardozo and Armstrong,
are located within few blocks Of each other
In downtown Washington. Students living in
other sections of town travel long distances
on crowded buses and streetcars each day to
reach them.
Distribution Of Junior Highs
There Is no colored junior high school in
Southeast Washington and five of the seven
are in the Northwest area.
Armstrong Cardozo and Dunbar High Schools
last year had 934 more students than their
rated capacity. Yet In the same general area
places; Mckinley High School with 958, Roose-
welt High School with se2; and Western High
School with 425. Eastern High School, the
closest to the Northeast section, had 967
vacancies.
Coolidge and Wilson High Schools, with q
total Of 783 vacancies, are In predominantly
white sections. Anacostia High School, located
in Southeast Washington, had A more students
than their capacity last year.
Browne Junior High School, only colored
Junior high in Northeast, had part time classes
and 100 more students than capacity. The
nearest white Junior high school to Browne,
Eliot, had 1893 vacancies last year.
Randall Junior High School, in Southwest
Washington, also had its colored students on
part-time. The white Junior high school in the
area, Jefferson, was under capacity by 174.
Four of the five colored junior high schools in
Northwest were over capacity while all five Of
the white junior high schools in that area were
under capacity.
In certain sections Of Northeast and South
east, however, three white Junior high schools
were over capacity and part-time classes were
underway In four elementary schools.
Results Of this overcrowding in the colored
schools will be taken llp in tomorroW's article.