Evening star., 1948-09-16
Lee Calls School Board
'Extravagant' in Fight
On School Conversion

Board OF Education Member Adel-
bert w. Lee has accused other board
members Of "extravagent use of
public funds" in turning the Powell
Junior High School building over
to students of Bell Vocational High
school.
MIR. Lee made the accusation at
the boards first fall meeting yes
terday, as he waged an unsuccessful
fight to make other members change
their mind on the conversion of
Powell to a vocational instruction
unit. The move, which sent the
Powell students to Central High
School, was approved by the School
Board in July, after a poll in which
Mr.. Lee did not vote.
Not only did Mr.. Lee say the poll
was illegal, but he recommended
that Bell be closed as a vocational
unit and the students sent to
Chamberlain Vocational High
School.
He based his contention that the
poll was illegal on the fact that
several personnel changes made as
result of this canvass had not
first been approved by the Person.
mel Committee.
Contention of Others.
Other board members contended
the vote was legal. They did re-
scind one action resulting from the
poll, however, which transferred all
assistant principal at Powell to the
Bell School. The assistant prin-
cipal was transferred to Central in
stead, since Bell, under the organi-
rational setup, is not allowed more
than the one assistant principal it
already has.
Mr.. Lee said that last year only
279 students were enrolled at Bell
and that on opening day this year
only 1876 registered. This small
number of students. he said, is
spread over three buildings, the old
Bell at Seventh and o streets NV,
the Powell building and the john
son School, an annex to Powell.
This he described as an "extrava-
CANT" use OF the public funds.
He said that, on a visit to the
schools yesterday, he found two stu
dents in the metals class, six in
printing, five in upholstery, three
in science, four in one English class,
six in a mathematics class and Is
in carpentry class.
Sees Rise in Rolls.
I School Supt. Hobart M Corning
told the board enrolment Is ex-
pected to increase within the next
few weeks, just as it is expected to
increase in all parts of the school
system. He also pointed out that
more than 1000 vocational students
use Bell at night.
The Washington Building Con-
gress and the District Apprentice
ship Council were responsible mainly
for the transfer of Powell as a
vocational training unit. Bell
School, the groups have maintained,
is too old, too small and has made
quate equipment for the growing
number of men who want vocational
training.
| Powell now is being used for aca-
demic work by the vocational STU
dents, while the old Bell Building is
being used for shop work on an
every -other-day plan. This will
continue until the school board gets
Congress to appropriate money for
converting Powell into a full time
vocational school.
School Renamed.
The board yesterday changed the
name of Powell to Bell Vocational
High School and renamed the old
Bell School at Seventh and o streets
NV, the Bell Annex. Central's
name was changed to the Central
Junior Senior High School.
Mr.. Lees contention that the
School Board could not act unless
the matter had approval of a COM
mittee was contested vigorously by
other board members.
Albert E. Steinern said commit;
tee assigned to a problem should be
allowed to carry through the entire
business, without having to refer it
to other committees. John H. Will
son pointed out that carrying Mr..
Lees contention to logical con-
clusion, a teacher being transferred
would have to have approval of the
Personnel Committee, the Building
and Grounds Committee to get her
into the other school and the FL
nance Committee to approve her
J salary.