Evening star., 1948-01-07
Continued Use
OF fbrowneUni
Before Board
Truunt Officers See
Parents of Students
Held Out of School
By Colt HendIey, Jr.

By Colt HendIey, Jr.
The Board of Education today was
TO consider a proposal already
adopted by its, Buildings and
Grounds Committee to continue the
use of Blow and Webb Schools as
annexes to Browne Junior High
School next semester and to use
two other schools for colored Junior
high students.
Under the plan, all junior high
cred by Brown Junior High School
at present would be receiving full
time instruction.
Meanwhile, School Supt. Hobart
M. Corning said truant officers are
beginning to consult" with parents
who have been keeping their chill
dren out of the Blow and Webb
Schools since December 3. The par
ents have been boycotting the two
buildings in protest over their trans
fer from white to colored pupils
to relieve crowded conditions at
Browne.
Would End Interchanges.
The new proposals adopted by the
board committee yesterday were:
To use the Blow and Webb Schools
as annexes next semester to Browne
but as self-contained units. Except
for assembly hall, cafeteria and
gymnasium, a complete junior high
school program would be offered
and the children would not have to
shift between Browne School and
the anneXes as at present.
To continue to use portion of the
Thomas Elementary School as a
junior high school unit, except for
assembly hall, cafeteria and gym
nasium. Junior high school pupils
have been in this school, with ele-
mentary pupils, since 1916.
To use a portion of the Merritt
School as junior high school unit,
self contained except for cafeteria.
Under this plan, all anticipated
colored Junior high school pupils in
this part of the Northeastern section
next semester would be on full
time instruction as follows: 282
at Thomas School, 800 at Merritt
School, 240 at Blow School, 240 at
Webb School and 1852 at Browne
Junior High School.
Awaits School Completion.
DR.. Garnet c. Wilkinson, first
assistant superintendent in charge
of colored schools, explained this
plan could not be put into effect
totally until the new Richardson
Elementary School was completed
about February is. After Richard
son is completed, II classes from the
Merritt School would be moved to
Richardson to make room for the
junior high school unit. Also to go
to Richardson would be five classes
from the Smothers Elementary
School. AS result, part-time
classes for 10 classes at the Smoth-
ers School will be eliminated.
Parents of the junior high pupils,
meanwhile, will hold mass meet
ing to discuss the new plan at 8
o'clock tonight at the Jones Memo
rial Church, Forty fourth street and
Benning road NE.
Gardner Bishop, spokesman for
the parents, contended that the
plan still would leave the Browne
School crowded with 300 students
over its capacity. He said he viewed
the new plan as "a little better
than the present arrangement, but
still "a feeble attempt" to arrive at
q solution of the problem.
Before the committee, headed by
Mrs. Philip Sidney Smith, adopted
the proposals, they heard DR.. Corn
ing report the findings OF school
officials on proposed alternatives to
Use of the Blow and Webb Schools.
Antagonisms Seen.
One counterproposal of the OBJ
1ecting parents was to transfer Eliot
Junior High School to colored
pupils and to send the Eliot pupils
to Eastern High School. DR.. Corning
reiterated the fact that there was
not enough room to take care of
both the Eliot pupils and the East
ern pupils in the Eastern building.
1.-The Eliot Junior High School Is
IN a predominantly white area, and
the transfer Of that school, there
fore, would give rise to racial an
tagonisms which are now dormant,
DR.. Corning's report said.
The parents also proposed that
Eastern High School be transferred
to colored pupils. DIR. Corning said
school officials are unanimously of
the opinion this is not possible
Race tensions In Washington
would be seriously increased" he
said. Each Junior and senior high
school in Divisions 1-9 (white) serves
. distinct area of the city and is
therefore necessary within the estab-
lished policy Of the Board of Edu-
cation for the operation of the
entire school system. Each secondary
school has its traditions and is
ardently supported by alumni, par
ents and students, all of whom
would vigorously protest the trans
fer OF their school,"
Double Opposition Seen.
The report added: THE Board
OF Education would then be faced
with the opposition of two racial
elements instead of one, and it is |
quite likely that the opposition
would grow to such an extent that
it would result in marked antagon-
ism of one race against the other"
AS for the return of the Browne
pupils to part time until the pro-
posed Miller Junior High School is
constructed, move advocated by
the parents as an alternative also,
DR.. Corning said school officers
found it Inconsistent with their
duty and professional obligation"
to recommend the return to part
time classes.
Granddaughter Of Lincoln