Evening star., 1949-09-13
District School
Attendance Up
5000 Over '48
Enrolment Totals
sc, 400 Here; County
Increase Also Noted

oo,4VO HereI NouHty
Increase Also Noted
Washington's already over
crowded schools bulged today
with a f1rst-day attendance in
crease of more than 5000 over
last years opening day figures.
The upswing was not unex-
pected, but it did not lessen the
problem of patching up about so
part-time classes in IA elementary
schools. Part of the overcrowding
will be alleviated later in the
term. with the completion of new
schools.
Total first day enrolment was
86,400, compared with 1912 reg
istered at the opening year ago.
The national trend toward
swelling enrolment also was re-
fiected in Prince Georges and
Montgomery Counties. The for
mer. reported 27,183 children in
all grades yesterday, an increase
of 4,515. Montgomery County
counted 23,734, a rise of 3,400.
Virginia also was affected by
s,lrging attendance. The Falls
Church School Board last night
authorized halliday sessions for
al1 first-grade and some second
grade pupils at Madison-Jeffer-
son School. Involving 240 of the
schools GIT students, the action
becomes effective September 26.
High School Rolls Drop.
In every case, it was the ele-
mentary grades that brought up
the attendance, largely in the
lower grades. Educators said this
was the aftermath of the war-a
reflection of the higher birth rate
during those years.
Just as the kindergarten and
frst-grade classes increased. there
was a marked reduction in high
school enrolment. This, too, was
attributed to the years when many
younger students marched of to
war.
Compared with last years first
day figures. attendance in white
District schools yesterday rose
from 44,548 to 1921; in colored
schools from 38,564 to 41,119.
White elementary schools en-
rolled 27,300, compared with last
years 25,682. Colored elementary
figures were 26.648, as compared
with 24,398 last year.
CoIored Schools Gain.
White senior high schools, in
Guiding veterans schools, dropped
from S,8O8 to 7,943, while the col
ored schools enrolled 4,583 COM
pared with last years 1859.
The white vocational school at
tendance yesterday was 779, as
against 5S9 last year; colored voca-
tienal 737 as against 887. There
were 9,O62 white junior high school
students, compared with 9,284 last
year; 8,719 colored juniors, COM
pared with 8,240.
In all, there was an increase OF
1888 white students enrolled yes
terday and 2,555 more colored
pupils than last year.
School officials pointed out that
the peak will not be reached be-
fore October. About $4,000 pupils
are expected to be in schools then,
compared with peak OF 91,065
counted last October %.
No Official Figures Yet.
There still were no official
figures on the number part-time
classes necessitated throughout the
system. Earlier, officials esti-
mated that $500 pupils would get
schooling on that basis until new
schools and additions would help
relieve the jam.
The estimated go part-time
classes would be an increase OF
a. over last years total.
Greatest croWding in the Dis
trict was reported in the de-
veloping Southeast and Northeast
sections.
Two Of the most crowded spots
were Patterson Elementary School,
South Capitol and Darlington
streets, where more than 1900
children enrolled in a school with
72o capacity, calling for % part
time classes.
Congress Heights School, Fifth
street and Nichols avenue Sc,
had 10 more kindergarten chill
dren than it could accommodate.
A kindergarten teacher was added
today and the part-time classes
there totaled 18. With 889 pupils
enrolling where only $50 could be
accommodated, all classes through
the fourth grade were made part
time.
1t was a different story at Kim
ball Elementary School, Thirty
fourth street and Minnesota ave-
nue. Sc. The opening of an addi-
ton there made it possible for
the school to go on a full-time
basis for the first time in six
years.
Open House Held.
In celebration the North Randle
Community Citizens Association
and the kimball- Teacher Associa-
ton. held an open house at the
school last night with about 1000
adults and children attending.
One of. the visitors was Mrs.
Ada Kimball, widow of DR..
Ephrairn Gardner Kimball, who
was.a supervising principal of the
school system and for whom the
school was named.
In Prince Georges County,