Evening star., 1951-06-02

In Whlte High Sch00ls
May Bring Faculty CuI
Enrolment in the Districts
white high schools has fallen of
so draStically that School Supt
Hobart M. Corning is faced with
the possibility of dismissing teach
ers because they have no pupils
to teach.
This situation was revealed ir
the testimony during closed hear
ings before the House Appropria-
tion Subcommittee, released to-
day. -
DR.. Corning told the subcom-
mittee members there is an "over-
supply of teachers Gin the white
high schools because enrollments
have dropped" On the other
hand, the number of students in
the colored high schools has
climbed steadily each year.
Migrate to Nearby Areas.
The school superintendent said
the change in the school popula-
ton was caused by a definite
migration of white families to
Maryland and Virginia. He de-
clared:
'It has been going on for more
than five years. White residents
have been moving to the outskirts
of the city and at the same time
there has been a great influx OF
colored population into the city
AS of today, we have approx
mately 1000 more colored chill
dren in public schools than white
children"
Predictions of enrollmentS for
the next two years, which DR.
Corning gave to the subcommit-
tee, are that there will be further
decreases in the white high
schools. Total public school en-
rollment this year is more than
$4,000.
Vacancies Untitled.
Concerning the oversupply o1
teachers in the white high schools
DR.. Corning declared:
"AS vacancies have occurred
these positions have not been
filled, but we have now closed
out so many of these positions
that we are down to the point
where, if we go much further
with that, beyond the normal
turnover. it would mean the dis
missing of teachers on permanent
tenure"
If this is done 1t would be
rather disastrous" DR.. Corning
said.
DR.. Corning pointed out that, in
the current budget year, so teach
ing positions in the white schools
have been abolished. The budget
now under consideration contem-
plates looping off 36 more, he
added-26 from the senior high
schools and 10 from the junior
highs.
In contrast, DR.. Corning said
some 80 teaching positions origi-
nally appropriated for the white
schools have been transferred tc
colored schools, and the budget
under consideration seeks rs new
teaching positions for the colorec
elementary schools.
The seven white high schools
now have combined enrolment
Of 1858. The capacity of the build
tngS totals 1887. +.
The three colored high schools
have enrollments totaling 4.988
with combined capacity of 5000
.s. Sees Drop of $50. j. a..
BY the fall of 1852, enrolment
IN the white high schools probably
viii drop by another $50 students
DR.. Corning said, while enrolment
IN the colored high schools will in
crease by almost that same num-
Der.
The predictions DR.. Cornine
made for the school enrolment
by the fall of 1852 visualize a
total school enrolment by ther
OF 1Ol ,201-an increase of 6,48E
over present enrollments.
BY then. the colored students
IN the public schools will out.
number the white children oy
5,621.
DR.. Corning pointed out thai
private and parochial schools serve
large number of white school.
age children, while the number
OF colored children going to non.
public schools is very small.
Gives Capacity Figures.
The half-empty condition of tn,
white high schools was pointed ur
IN figures given the subcommittee
by DR.. Corning. Western, with 8
capacity of 1.460, has only 81:
pupils. Eastern has 1859 student.
and capacity of 2,726; Mckinley
l,l47 students and 2,607 capacity
Roosevelt, 1912 students and l..
BIZ capacity; Wilson, 1892 stu.
dents and 1858 capacity; Coolidge
1,O44 students and 1884 capacity