Evening star., 1949-07-01
Use Of Wilson College
To Relieve Crowdinq
AT Cordozo Studied

School officials are considering
transfer of Wilson Teachers Col
lege to the Central High School
Building in the latest proposal for
housing students OF the over
crowded Cardozo High School.
The plan was among three
placed before the Buildings,
Grounds and Equipment Commit
tee of the Board of Education
yesterday by School Supt. Hobart
M. Corning. The other two contem-
plate transfer of Cardozo to the
Central building, temporarily or
permanently.
The three plans will be consid-
cred by the committee and the
board before DR.. Corning makes
a definite recommendation. A
public hearing will follow on the
final proposal.
Acute at Cardozo.
In his report DR.. Corning
pointed out that, while all three
colored high schools have enroll
ments beyond their capacities, the
situation is particularly acute at
Cardozo. The board must deter
mine whether immediate relief
should be provided, pending COM
pIetion Of the new Spingarn High
School. expected in about two
years, he said. @
The new plan presented by DR..
Corning would transfer junior high
school students now in Central to
Langley, Macfarland, Gordon and
Deal Junior High Schools but
would retain the senior high stu
dents at Central.
Wilson Teachers College then
would move to the Central build
ing and portion of Cardoza
would go temporarily to the Will
son building.
DR.. Corning said this would pro-
vide immediate temporary relief
for Cardozo, terminating the pres
ent necessity for a triple-relay
organization and would preserve
the justification for the new Car
dozo High School. contemplated
in the building program.
In Line With Survey.
Among other advantages, he
said, the plan would have the
effect of preserving the identity
of Central High School. Also, he
said, the proposal would be con-
sistent with the Strayer report
recommendation for the establish
ment of the 18th and 18th grades
in Washington, making Central a
center for high school as well as
posthigh school education.
Disadvantages he listed would
be that Cardozo would operate
temporarily in two centers. and
some opposition might develop
because of a contention the Will
son building is not safe.
He said, however, structural
deficiencies, which resulted in
removal of the college temporarily
from the building in 1882, have
been corrected.
Roosevelt High Not Involved.
DR.. Corning said he felt no fur
ther consideration should be given
to turning over Roosevelt High
School for colored students, be-
cause that would result in many
of the same disadvantages he
outlined in discussing the trans
fer of Cardozo to Central.
Placing the Cardozo students in
the Central building, he said.
would be protested vigorously by
students, faculty and patrons Of
Central and by the Alumni As
sociation, representing 47,000
former Central students.
BY this move, the board would
be acting directly to place the
interests of racial groups in con-
f1ict and to cause serious racial
tensions" he said.
In session of the Student Ac-
tivities Committee, DR.. Corning
assured the members he Is making
a study of the cadet situation and
will report in September. De-
clining enrollments in the cadet
corps in the white high schools
has aroused the concern of school