Evening star., 1949-09-08
3,700 Students
Face Part Time
In DC. Schools
Plan Approved to Cope
With Overcrowding
In Ia Buildings
By Colt HendIey, Jr.


be forced to place more than s.
TOO pupils in IA elementary
schools on part-time instruction
when classes resume on Monday
Meeting yesterday, the Board of
Education authorized School Supt,
Hobart M. Corning to set up the
part time classes after he had re-
ported that expected enrollments
appeared to demand that 1t be
done in the IA schools. Five of
the schools are for white pupils
and nine for colored.
The 3,700 expected to go on
part-time instruction is an in
crease of 1,100 over the number OF
pupils who started out on part
time last September.
White schools where part-time
classes will be necessary are Ken
ilworth, Beers. Congress Heights,
Patterson and Stanton, four of
which serve the Southeast area of
Washington, where housing con-
struction has doomed in the past
year. There will be about 2.170
children in SO classes on part time
in these schools.
Colored Schools Affected.
The colored schools affected are
John F. Cook. Langston, Morse
Richardson, Thomas, Birney An
mex, Garfield. Turner and Payne
More than 1.540 children in A
classes will go on part-time in
these schools.
Last year there were 1922 white
children on part-time classes in
elementary schools and 1,189 COL
ored children.
DR.. Corning pointed out that
the completion of the new Birney
Elementary School, the Miller
Junior High School and-the Mont
gomery Elementary School later
this year will relieve some of the
part-time classes in the colored
schools. The transfer of the Park
View Elementary School to COL
ored students last year eliminated
part-time classes at Bruce. Doug
lass -Simons and Jones Elementary
Schools. he added.
An addition to Beers Elemen-
tary School should be completed
in December and will eliminate
part-time instruction there, DR..
Corning said.
"Frills" to Be Restored.
In another action. the school
board decided to restore the So
called "frills" eliminated from
new school plans as an economy
measure last year.
Encouraged by the recent. drop
in the costs of construction, the
board asked the District Commis-
sioners to restore to the plans of
the proposed Spingarn High
School the more expensive types
of materials which had been ELI
minated to save money. The
board asked that all plans for
future schools do away with the
substitute materials.
The items the board wants re-
stored to the Spingarn plan are:
Terrace floors and bases in all
corridors instead of asphalt tile,
tile wainscoting in corridors. stair
ways and all other places from
which it was eliminated; plaster
ing of all walls in the corridors,
complete vacuum cleaning equip
ment. and ground Improvements,
including all necessary approach
work, properly surfaced play areas
and sodding.
Cost Put at S125,0O0.
Last year it was with reluctance
that the school board eliminated
the "frills" from its plans. But,
rising costs of construction made
it impossible to get bids from con-
tractors for the work within the
limitations Of cost set by Congress
unless the items were eliminated.
The changes would cost only
about $125 900 more in the case of
Spingarn High School, the. Mu-
nicipal Architects Office estimated.
The new high school for colored
students, to be located at Twenty
fourth street and Benning road
N. E.. would not be held up be-
cause Of the changes, DR.. Corn
ing explained. 1t is expected that
bids for its construction will ne
asked next month.
The school board asked the
Commissioners for an early deci-
sion SO there will be no delay in
the construction of Spngarn,
badly needed to relieve crowded
conditions in the colored high
schools. The economy move was
ordered by the Commissioners fol-
lowing request from the House
Appropriations Committee.
Other Actions Taken.
The school board also:
Received a report from DR..
Corning that a special committee
Of school officials is drawing up
new instructional program for the
High School Cadets Corps in an
effort to boost enrolment this
year and will report to the board
later.
Gave DR.. Corning permission to
use again this year the Merritt,
Thomas, Blow and Webb elemen-
taly Schools for the overflow of
students from Brown Junior
Eigh School until the Kelly Miller
Junior High School is completed
next month.
Retired DR.. Thomas I. Brown, a
social studies professor at Miner
Teachers College, after 10 years
of service. DIR. Brown has been on
sick leave and lives in Baltimore
now.
Named the principals for the
night colored schools during the
coming year: Clifford v. Smith.
Armstrong: Miss Annie E. Dun
can, Cardozo; Miss Camille E.
TA-,.- HR;ee 80