Evening star., 1950-02-08
Chiefs Back
Central School
Transfer Plan
Nicely Urges Moving
Of Cordozo Pupils;
Fight Neors Climax


Fight Neors Climax
District Committee leaders in
Congress have joined in the fight
to have Central High School
transferred to colored students as
the controversy neared climax
in the Board of Education.
At 10 am. Friday the boards
Buildings and Grounds Commit
tee will hear citizens groups on
the proposed transfer to provide
relief for the colored students at
overcrowded Cardozo High School
The full board is expected to vote
on the matter next Wednesday.
Yesterday Chairman Nicely OF
the Senate District Committee
issued statement asking the
school board to make Central
available to the Cardozo students
Bates Calls 1t Good Way"
Chairman Bates of the District
Appropriations Subcommittee ot
the House, also called for the
transfer as good way" of re-
lieving crowded Cardozo and saw
ing the expense of a new school
Opponents of the change are
expected to be out in full force al
the Friday meeting. Colored
groups that have been fighting
for the transfer also are expected
to be present.
Thus far, Is groups have indi-
Gated they want to appear.
The boards !. Building and
Grounds Committee already has
approved the transfer by a
unanimous vote.
Rejected Corning Proposal.
In so doing, it rejected a pro-
posal by School Supt. Hobart M
Corning that 500 Cardozo girls be
transferred to the Park View Ele-
mentary School.
The Nicely statement issued late
yesterday said:
Senator Nicely, Democrat
West Virginia, chairman of the
Senate District of Columbia Com
mittee, today stated that in view
of the critical school situation ir
the District he sincerely hopes
that the Board of Education viii
adopt the recommendation of it!
Subcommittee on School Buildings
and Construction, and that Cen.
trail High School will be promptly
made available to the Cardozc
High School pupils, some of whom
now are on triple shifts.
Text of Bates Letter.
Mr.. Bates letter, addressed to
c. Melvin Sharpe. president of the
board, follows:
Dear Mr.. Sharpe:
In considering the budgetary
requirements of the District of
Columbia, the subcommittee has
given considerable attention to
the adequacy of school facilities
particularly in the senior high
school field. Certain facts are
well established:
Il. The senior high schools in
divisions K to XIII are over
crowded.
80. The senior high schools in
divisions I to TX are currently
operating with less than capacity
enrollments.
"3. Cardozo Senior High School
is housed in a plant which, in
addition to being inadequate in
size, is entirely obsolete in so far
as senior high school use is con-
cerned. Relocation of Cardozo
Senior High School is an acute
and pressing need which must be
met at the earliest practicable
moment.
81 Central High School, serv.
ing Divisions I to TX, is operating
far below its capacity enrolment
and there is no prospect that the
full measure of it's facilities will
be required for Divisions to Y
in the foreseeable future.
IS. Other senior and junior
high schools in Divisions I to X
are so situated with respect t.
capacity in addition to current
enrollments and as to geographic
location as to make it wholly
practicable for them to absorb
the current enrolment at Central
IS. The present Central High
School plant is geographically sc
located as to make it entirely suit
able for Cardozo High School.
Alternatives Cost Cited.
after considering all these
matters, the committee has ar
rived at the conclusion that the
present Central High School plant
should be transferred to Divisions
K to XIII on a permanent basis tc
house Cardozo High School. The
only alternative to this proposal
is to expend approximately S..
0OO,O0O Tor the acquisition of q
site and construction of a new
high school plant in the same area
at time when it has been found
necessary to impose a sales ia,
upon the people of the District OF
Columbia in order to provide suf
f1cient revenue to operate tht
government of the District and
to provide greatly needed schoo
facilities.
There are urgent requirement
for construction of school build
ings other than in the senior higf
school divisions in addition tt
construction now underway which
will tax the resources of the Dis.
trict to the limit for some year!
to come without expending fund:
for construction of a building, the
need for which can be met ade.
quately without capital outlay.
'The matter is not before thu
subcommittee for action at thu
present time except for small
item for temporary repair in tht
Il Il