Evening star., 1950-02-02
Board Defers Action
On Central High Shift
Until Feb. IS Meeting

The Board of Education has
postponed a vote on whether tc
transfer Central High School te
lcolored students until its next
meeting on February Is.
The school boards buildings
and grounds committee on Tues
day voted unanimously that
Central High School be turned
over to colored students to re-
lieve crowded conditions at Car
dozo High School. This surprise
action of the committee drew
nearly 200 persons to the board
meeting yesterday.
After hearing IL speakers from
citizens groups-nine of whom
opposed the transfer of Central
the board voted to postpone action
on the committee report until its
next meeting.
Hearing Indicated.
DR.. Phillip r. johnson, colored
board member, who has been q
leader Ia the fight to have Gen.
trails status changed, termed the
action q virtual tabling of the
tcommittee's unanimous report -
He demanded that DR.. James A.
Cannon, presiding in the absence
tof Board President c. Melvin
Sharpe, set a date for hearing
those citizens who wanted further
time on the matter.
Dr. Cannon ruled that, the
buildings and grounds committee
would have to hear any groups
that wanted TO appear. Such a
hearing probably will be set be-
fore the next meeting. it was in
dicated.
The board committee that ap-
proved the transfer was made UP
OF Mrs. Philip Sidney Smith, Mrs.
Edward c. Magdeburger and DR..
johnson. In approving the trans
fer, the committee turned down
School Supt. Hobart M. Corning s
plan to shift 500 girls from Car
dozo to the Park View Elemen-
tary School as a temporary meas
ure.
Leeman Opposes Haste.
Herbert p Teeman nresidenf
Of the Federation of Citizens
Associations. expressed the gen.
eral viewpoint of those opposing
any change to Central when he
told the board:
1--WE have had no opportunity
to study the report. Hasty action
would be inadvisable. I ask that
action be deferred until at least
the next meeting"
John H. Wilson, colored mem
ber. said he would vote in favor
Of transferring Central, but he
felt a further delay In taking the
action would do no harm. He
pointed out that the change
would not be made until next
September. In any case.
The vote was 5 to 2 for postpone
ment until the next meeting. with
Or. johnson and Mrs. James w.
Williams, another colored mem
Der, casting the nays.
DIR. johnson protested that DR..
Gannon's ruling that the commit
tee should hear testimony from
citizens was illegal because the
cornknittee already had acted. He
warned that legal action might
result.
Others Testify. .
Speaking in favor of turning
Central over to Cardozo students
were Mrs. Marion p. Scott, head
of the Federation of Parent
Teacher Associations: Mrs. Edith
Portal, president of the Central
Northeast Civic Association, and
Gardner L. Bishop, president of
the Consolidated Parent Group.
Opposing the plan were Walter
M. Bastian, representing the Gen.
trail Alumni Association; Mr.. Lee
man. Mrs. Michael Troiano, presi-
dent of the Central PTA; John
H. Connaughton. representing the
Petworth Citizens Association, the
Columbia Heights Citizens Asso-
citation and the Northwest Recrea-
ton Council. Clifford II. Newell,
president of the Arkansas Avenue
Citizens Association; Arthur KIM
berley. OF the Mount Pleasant Citi-
zen's Association; Elwood Baker,
president of the Mount Pleasant
Citizens Association; II. e. Wal
ters. a resident Of the Central
neighborhood, and Jesse c. Suter
q raufrol e1f,reyH.fS