Evening star., 1951-01-17
Board Approves
School Program
|0f SIS Million
81 Million Deferred
As Prince Georges
Commissioners Act

Commissioners Act
A multi-million dollar school
construction and site acquisition
program today had the approval
Of the Prince Georges County
Commissioners.
In a lengthy session with school
administrative officers yesterday,
the commissioners gave the 60
ahead signal to most of the re-
quests of the educational depart
ment. AS presented originally to
the commissioners on December
20, the plan called for the ex-
penditure of $7.5 million within
the next two years for construc-
ton of % schools or additions
and purchase of 13 sites. The
program is to be financed out of
$9.5 million in bonds, already au-
thorized by the General Assembly.
OF the original amount, the
commissioners yesterday definitely
approved $5.5 million; deferred
almost 81 million more and
definitely eliminated slightly more
than 100000. Dropped from the
plan, SO far as the commissioners
are concerned. are auditoriums for
the Nicholas Orem, Albert S. Cook,
Suitland and Fairmont Heights
High Schools. The auditoriums
had been termed the least
urgently needed of the programs
items.
152 New Classrooms.
Deferred items included the
proposed East Riverdale, Seabrook
and Morningside Elementary
Schools, totaling "a class and 5
multi-purpose rooms. The cut
left total of 152 classrooms and
10 multi-purpose rooms to be
built.
The two-year program is but
part Of an ultimate expansion esti-
mated to cost $23 million over the
next five years. under plans of the
Board of Education.
Action on the East Riverdale
School was deferred, after Com
missioner Edward j. (Ned Waters
declared there are too many
school in that area of congested
traffic. The commissioners agreed
to inspect the proposed site before
taking final action.
The proposed Seabrook school
was opposed in a letter from the
Glenn Dale Citizens Association,
which contended an addition
should first be constructed at the
existing Glenn Dale building.
Thomas S. Gwynn, jr., county di-
rector of school planning. said it
may be possible to do both, If it is
found school at Morningside is
not required. He said there is a
possibility the Army may build a
school at Andrews Air Base, which
would take care of all children Of
base personnel. Only the first
four grades are schooled there
now.
Report Due Next Week.
A report on the Seabrook-G Glenn
Dale -MorningSide situation will be
made to the commissioners next
week by school officers.
On the proposed auditorium the
commissioners experienced their
first split vote on a major issue
since taking Office on December 5.
On a motion to approve all or
none Of the four the commission
ers voted Al to eliminate them.
Commissioner H. Wilson Spick-
nall, who had declared himself
sold" on the need for audi
toriums, cast the negative vote.
Commissioner Thomas Lat
inner was designated to confer
with school officers regarding
legislation establishing a county
architects Office to plan school
construction. The work now is
done by private architects.
Plan Criticized.
Mrs. Virginia S. Wolfe of the
Legislative Committee of the
County Council of Parents and
Teachers. told the commissioners
such a plan is not workable and
cited experiences of other COM
munities in that regard.
The commissioners received an
offer of the Capital Transit Co. to
sell the abandoned streetcar right
of way from Branchville to Belts
vile to the county for $4,000. The
line now ends at Branchville. The
county is considering building a
two-lane highway over the aban-
doned portion. Such construction
is urged by the County Civic Fed
Grafton.
Also received by the commits
sioners was a Civic Federation res
olution urging retention of Arthur
w. Tayman as county engineer.
Mr.. Tayman was appointed by the
former Democratic commissioners.
The new commissioners are Re-
publicanS.