Evening star., 1951-11-13
Falls Church Council
Hits Ex-SchooI Board
States Police Inquiry

States Police Inquiry
The Falls Church City Council,
after reporting its findings in an
investigation Of the School Board,
has launched p investigation of
the city police department.
The councils report on the
School Board which resigned last
month was critical Of the boards
Judgment and charged that "the
public and council have not been
completely informed and taken
into the confidence of the School
Board" with regard to the space
to be provided In the new high
school.
Councilmen Samuel e. McCrary
and James E. Durant voted
iagainst the motion to investigate
the police department, saying they
had both made personal investi-
cations Of the department and
were satisfied with its operation.
Maylor Charles (. Kellogg
Joined in voting for the investiga-
tion OF the department but he
said he would have preferred that
each councilman make his own
inquiry.
The council had ordered its in
vestigation of the School Board
on September 4. Six Of the seven
board members resigned October
II. while the investigation was
under way, and have since been
replaced.
Mayor Kellogg read the report
to an audience of about so. per-
sons last night.
Conclusions Voiced.
The council, sitting as a COM
mittee OF the whole, reached these
conclusions:
l. That the School Emergency
Committee laid its charges before
the Council as a last resort after
having failed to obtain needed
action by direct approach to the
School Board and State Board of
Education.
2. Emergency school facilities
(needed when it became apparent
that two new schools would not be
completed by September)
could not and would not have
been ready for occupancy by Sep
tember 10, 1851. and still conform
to safety requirements. Had 1t
not been for the charges brought
by the School Emergency Com
mittee and the investigation Or
dered by the Council, it is this
committees opinion that all of
the repairs and renovations, es-
sential for safety and health, ana
subsequently made, would not
have been undertaken before the
buildings were occupied"
Exchange Cancellation Hit.
3. The School Board in can.
ceiling the pupil exchange agree
ment with Fairfax County. has
acted unwisely. not only insofar
as present conditions are con-
cerned but for the future.
4. The construction work on the
new City Oak Street Elementary
School and the new high school
has Jagged unnecessarily.
5. The School Board acted
in what they considered to be the
best interests Of the city, and
their errors were mistakes of judg-
ment and not any deliberate at
tempt to deprive the school chill
dren Of anything necessary in ed
ucational facilities.
6. The proposed new high school
will be inadequate even when
completed. due principally to the
lack OF adequate classroom space.
z. The School Board failed to
fix responsibility upon the super
1ntendent of schools for accom-.
plishment of specifically stated OBJ
jectives, but, to the contrary
established committees Of board
members to assume functions for
which the superintendent should
have been held responsible.
Must Keep Public Advised.
.. The committee recommends
that the school board, in order to
assure the complete confidence
and cooperation of all people of
the city and council, must keep
the people and the council fully
advised. :"
9. This investigation report is
limited to the emergency phases
OF the school board activities and
should not be considered as q
complete and all-inclusive inyes-
tigation OF the school board opera
tions.
The council, in other action.
voted to hold a public hearing on
December 10 to consider whether
to rezone to commercial both
sides Of West Broad street from
Washington street to West street.