Evening star., 1951-11-29
Seeks
Steel 10 Build
NewHigh School
County Officials Get
Materials Priority
For 40-Room Structure

fOr 4U-kO0m SrfuCture
Arlington school officials, armed
with scarce materials priority.
are shopping for 700 tons of steel
to build the most expensive school
in Washington's suburban area.
The new Wakefield Junior Sem
ior High School will be put up
in two sections, the first 40
classroom senior high to cost be.
tween 50 million and $25 mill
lion.
Meanwhile, authorities in other
sections Of nearby Maryland and
Virginia have received steel pri-
orities for so school projects.
The first section of Wakefield
will include a small gymnasiums
and cafeteria but no auditorium.
Near Apartment Projects.
It will be built on q 40-acre
site between South Chesterfield
road and George Mason drive,
south of Columbia pike. 1t will
be situated between two sprawl
ing apartment projects. Bancroft
and Claremont.
E. j. Braun, assistant school
superintendent in charge of con-
Istruction, said original plans have
been pared down so that the school
will house between 1900 and 1900
students. Cafeteria and gymna-
SUM will be expanded in the fu-
ture to provide space for the 1000
pupils who eventually will be ac-
commodated.
To Be Ready in 1858.
The building is being designed
by Rhees Burkett, Washington
architect. Construction probably
will begin early next year, but
the school will not be ready for
occupancy until September, 1858.
Reduction in the original plans
for the building has resulted from
a combination of factors. The two
most important are money and
steel. according to Mr.. Braun.
He said both the United States
Office of Education and the Ma
tional Production Authority have
discouraged the inclusion of audi
torium and gymnasium facilities
because OF short steel supplies.
Plans for an auditorium and one
gymnasium were eliminated and
the remaining gymnasium was re-
duced in size because of the short
ages.
Soaring Costs Blamed.
Soaring material and construc-
tion costs also have contributed
to the shrinkage in building plans,
Mr.. Braun said some class space
has been eliminated and the
cafeteria reduced in size accord
ingly.
/ Funds for the construction of
the first section of the school were
voted as part of a S4,875, 900 bond
issue last spring. The school
board has not announced its plan
for financing the second section.
| ALLEGATIONS also have been re-
ceived in Arlington for the Not
tlngham. Claremont and Jackson
school addition projects. A priority
also was obtained for an addition
to Sewart School but because of
the cost of the project, the addi-
ton plan has been dropped.
Priorities in Other Areas.
Here is a breakdown of school
prlorities in other nearby areas:
Montgomery County has applied
for allocations for 80 projects
and has received approval on 26.
Prince Georges County has re-
celVed priorities for nine projects.
A county school official said
Prlnce Georges has been treated
well so far. but expressed concern
over the future of 20 new projects
for which plans are not yet COM
plete.
Alexandria, Va, has applied for
an elementary school steel priority.
This building would replace two
old schools in the southern end of
the city.
Fairfax County, Va, obtained
prior1ties for two more schools yes
terday. bringing the total to Is
projects that now bavo oooro,,,I
The two new projects are Free
dom Hill and Garfield. No ap.
proval has been granted yet for
the Gum Springs Elementary
School. -Four new steel priority
requests were filed yesterday.
There are still about 80 more prof.
ects in the building program for
which priorities are needed.
Falls Church Youth Charmed