Evening star., 1951-09-17
School Board 10 Face
Several Problems at
Meetings This Week
By Colt HendIey, Jr.

By Colt Hendtey, Jr.
The Board of Education will
meet tomorrow and Wednesday
to begin coping with the problems
of the new school year, including
the bad news that part-time
classes must be established and
the High School Cadet Corps has
been turned down as a Junior
IROTC unit.
A. Kiger Savoy, associate school
superintendent, will ask the board
to authorize part-time classes at
Payne and Van Ness Elementary
Schools. This kills the hope of
school officials that part-time in
struction could be avoided in the
city schools this year.
Mr.. Savoy said six or eight part
time classes must be set up at
Payne, involving probably so chill
dren in the first and second
grades. At Van Ness, two part
time classes involving 80 children
will be necessary.
Steel Lack Blamed.
Money for a planned addition
at the Payne School is available.
he pointed out, but steel shortage
has held up contract awards.
The refusal of the End Army
to establish the High School Cadet
Corps as Junior ROTC unit is
the climax of extensive efforts by
school officials and the School
Board to change the status of the
historic but fading corps.
School officials received a letter
from Maj. Gen. Cliff Andrus,
commanding general of the End
Army, that it was impossible to
grant ROTC status to the local
cadets. The letter explained that
until the Senior ROTC in colleges
and universities was in better
shape, money was not available
for expansion of the junior pro-
gram.
School officials had been at
tempting to get a special exemp-
Ition for the cadets here on the
grounds that Congress recognized
the corps years ago by authorizing
its establishment and therefore it
should have the ROTC status.
Would Aid Units.
If the cadets were a ROTC unit,
uniforms and instructors would be
furnished by the Army. At pres
Ient, the Army helps in limited
manner, mostly by furnishing
rifles and some ammunition for
range practice.
Enrolment in the cadet corps
has been falling steadily in the
white schools. 1t was felt that
IROTC status would revive interest
in the corps.
The Personnel Committee and
the Buildings and Grounds Com
mittee of the School Board are
scheduled to meet tomorrow.
1t is presumed that No. l busi-
ness of the Personnel Committee
will be the appointment of a sue
ceSSor to DR.. Garnet c. Wilkinson,
who retired during the summer as
assistant superintendent in charge
of colored schools. The committee
has been close-mouthed since it
decided last July to postpone its
decision until this fall.
Fire Safety Reports.
Among other business scheduled
before these committees are the
annual report of the fire marshal
on the safety of the public schools,
consideration If the new central
lied athletic setup authorized by
Congress, the proposed razing of
an abandoned greenhouse at Viii
son Teachers College and a re-
port on repairs made to schools.
On Wednesday before the regu-
liar School Board session at $3.50
pm. meetings are scheduled by
the Personnel, Finance, Legisla-
ton, Buildings and Grounds and
Student Activities Committees.
The controversial question of
the transfer of 100 pupils from
Lafayette Elementary School to
Murch Elementary School will be
Iup for discussion. A number of
parents who object to the shift are
scheduled to speak. The shift was
made by School Supt. Hobart M
Corning to reduce overcrowded
classes at Lafayette.
Exchange Problems.
The equally controversial ques-
ton of where to assign three ex-
change teachers from England
Canada and France also is up for
decision.
One of the teachers, Miss Doro-
thy Evaline Gardner of London
was exchanged for Miss Maxine
DAILY of Cardozo High School
School Board members must de.
eide if they can assign a white
teacher to a colored school under
the dual school system. Colored
board members have taken the
stand the colored pupils are being
denied their rights under the ex-
change program.
i Among other matters up for
consideration are salary increases