Evening star., 1948-03-18
School Board
Orders End Of
.Trinesfer Plan
Religious Education
To Be Continued
In Arlington

VIII be abolished in Arlington public
schools when the new term opens
next September. and the semester
plan established in its place, under
resolution adopted last night by
the County School Board.
The board also decided to con-
tinue the present program of re-
ligious education in the school
system. pending clariflcation Of the
recent United States Supreme
Court decision on the subject.
Abolition Of the trimester, or
thrice annual, promotion plan was
voted upon recommendation OF the
boards exploratory committee on
entrance and promotions policies.
FIhe system has been in use in the
first through ninth grades in Ar
lington schools since about 1925.
Under it pupils enter school in
September. December and March
and grades are divided into A, B
and G sections. The high schools
are under the semester, or twice
annual, promotion plan, with each
grade IN A and B sections only.
Different Age Requirement.
The board made 1t clear that the
reason the change to the semester
rather than to an annual promotion
plan is that there are different
requirements as to entrance age.
A law passed by the recent Gen.
eral Assembly provides that where
the annual promotion plan is in
effect, children must have reached
their sixth birthday on or before
September to enter school. The
same law provides that where the
semester plan is used, children who
reach their sixth birthday on or
before September 80 or March
may enter school at the September
or February terms, respectively.
In line with a committee recon-
mendation, the board said that if
the State law allowed admittance
in September of children who
reached their sixth birthday on or
before the following January l, the
annual plan would have been
adopted.
Continuance of religious educa-
tion was requested by number Of
speakers. including representative
of the Arlington Council of Religious
Education, the Women's Christian
Temperance Union, the Arlington
Council of Churchwomen and the
Arlington Ministerial Union. The
board instructed School Supt.
Fletcher Kemp to continue to press
for rulings from State authorities
and Commemorative Attorney Dem
man T. Rucker.
Lunch Program Recommended.
Following q recommendation Of
the Cafeteria and School Lunch
Exploratory Committee, the board
asked that junior and senior high
schools apply for inclusion in the
national school lunch program and
that the milk program in the ele-
tmentary schools be operated under
the same plan. The board asked
Mr.. Kemp to investigate appoint
ment of a supervisor of school lunch
programs and to have tests made Of
the milk sold by several dairies. The
latter action was taken to give the
board information upon which to
award a contract.
The policy of the school depart-
ment in requiring pre-entrance
physical examinations, smallpox
vaccinations and birth certificates
of all new students was affirmed by
the board, which also asked for
rigid enforcement of the rules. Mr..
Kemp was asked to have the school
physician, DR.. Paul Bowden, make
survey looking toward relocation
of the school health department.
now in Washington-Lee High
School.
Appointment of new exploratory
committees to study secondary
school athletics and use OF school
facilities by community groups was
approved by the board.
| A request from the Claude A.
Swanson Junior High School PTA
for school hours earlier than the
present $50 am. to4 pm. was re-
ceived by the board. Mrs. J. w.
Dixon, who presented the request,
was asked to confer with other sec
ondary school PTAs and with bus
companies whics provide Transports
tion