Evening star., 1951-06-26
Board Decision
IoShift Langley
Seen This Week
Committee Votes
Transfer Of School
TO colored Pupils


The Board Of Education prob
ably win meet in special session
either Thursday or Friday to take
action on the transfer Of Langley
Junior High School from white
to colored students.
The boards buildings and
grounds committee yesterday
voted unanimously that Langley
should be shifted, rather than
Stuart or Eliot Junior High
Schools. which also have been un-
der consideration. The committee
win so recommend to the full
board.
II special session is not called,
the board will act at its regular
July 2 meeting.
The vote rejected School Supt.
Hobart M. Corning's recommen-
dation that Stuart Junior High
be transferred to colored students.
It was his original recommends
ton several weeks ago that started
the controversy. After the Stuart
parents put up a strong protest.
the committee asked him to study
the possibility of shifting Langley.
DR.. Corning stuck to his original
recommendation yesterday, al
though he did say that Eliot would
|be his second choice and Langley
10 third choice.
Parents Protest.
Parents from Langley and resi-
dents OF the Langley area said
Ghey have not given up the fight.
Dr.. Corning and the Board OF
Education members were inagree.
ment on one thing-one of the
junior high schools serving white
residents Of Northeast Washing
ton must be transferred to relieve
serious overcrowding in three coll
ored junior highs-Miller. Browne
and Randall.
Langley is located at Second and
7 streets NE. next to Mckinley
High School. It has capacity Of
l.224 and an enrolment of 496.
Langley parents who were
among the 81 persons who spoke
at the board committee session
yesterday, before the vote was
taken. opposed the transfer on the
ground that racial troubles would
be inevitable with the schools on
Grating so close together.
Corning Cites Location.
DR.. Corning supported his rec
ommendation that Stuart be
transferred because Of its geo
graphical location. He said
Langley is too far from the area
to be served.
DR.. Corning said the closing OF
Langley would mean that the
pupils would have to be trans
ferred as q unit to the Mckinley
High building. He expects I'd
make recommendations on this
part OF the shift after the fun
board acts. There is a possibility
considered not too likely-that
t1e Langley students might be
dispersed to other white junior
high schools.
The buildings and grounds com.
nittee Is headed by Mrs. Philip
sidney Smith, who will retire
rom the board on July /. Also on
ihe committee are Mrs. e. G. !
Magdeburger and DR.. Phillip T.
Johnson, colored.
Stuart Junior High, locaped at
fourth and e streets NE. has
capacity Of 835 and an ENROLL
nent Of 700 pupils. Eliot Junior
digh is at Seventeenth and B
treets NE, adjacent to Eastern
High School. It has an enrolment
= 4o9 and q capacity Of 918.
Over-Capacity EnrolIments.
The colored junior high schools
involved have the following en-
'ollments and capacities: Miller
$40 enrolment and 1908 capaci.
Y: Browne. l,201 enrolment and
|S8 capacity. and Randall. 1901
enrolment and lass capacity.
III are expected to increase in
'nrollment this fall.
In making the motion yesterday
hat Langley be transferred. DR..
Johnson said he was aware the
feelings Of somebody must be :
lurt" but he added that a trans
er OF some building is the only
solution.
Mrs. Magdeburger said it was
ven q greater responsibility on
Ter to transfer a white school. but
as q taxpayer and a member of
he Board of Education, we must
onsider the whole picture"
Mrs. Smith said that, although
er vote was not needed, Since a
iajority Of the committee was in
avor OF the transfer. she would