Evening star., 1951-11-08
|4-Day-a-week
kindergarten
Glasses Open
Board Backs Program
Whenever Schools
Are Overcrowded

The District public schools have
begun a precedent-breaking pro-
gram of -four r-day-a-week" school
for kindergartens In an attempt to
take care of all kindergarten-age
children in the city.
The Board of Education gave its
to this reduction at the
request of School Supt. Hobart M.
Corning. The program will be
instituted only at schools having
overcrowded kindergartens or
those with waiting lists.
The board members also learned
from DR.. Corning that the price of
lunches in the school cafeterias
would have to be boosted at least
4 cents per plate because of a
cut in the Districts share of the
National School Lunch Act funds.
Funds Slashed Almost Half.
The Agriculture Department
Slashed the Districts share of the
funds to $4,000, almost half of
the $106.3l4 spent last year.
Concerning the kindergarten sit
uatlon. DR.. Corning reported that
as an experiment. the kinder
garten pupils at Bunker Hill Ele-
mentary School were placed on a
four-day-a-week schedule in Sep
tember. There are 165 children OF
kindergarten age at the school, Is
above the standard of 140 for
two kindergarten classes.
The situation in the colored
schools is worse, with 452 children
on waiting lists at various schools
DR.. Corning told the board. A
.Kiger Savoy. associate superin-
tendent, said he would begin a
study Immediately to see if SINH
lar four-day classes should be
established in the colored schools
He said he felt it was a good idea
as 1t allowed a child to get four
fifths of the offering which was
better than the nothing that the
large group is now getting.
Lee Sees Rules Violation.
Although he expressed favor of
the idea. Adelbert w. Lee, board
vice president, called DR.. Carl
Hansen. associate school superin-
.tendent, and DR.. Corning to task
for failing to let the board know
the experiment had been under
way.
He said it was a violation Of
the board rules to cut the schoo,
week from five to four days. Wher
DR.. Corning said he was recon-.
mending a waiver of the rules Il
allow the program to be instituted
MIR. Lee said:
This is November. 1t has beer
going on since September"
DR.. Corning replied. ut was al
experiment. We found it WORKED
out and now are bringing it il
to you for approval. I think it i
good administrative procedure
We would be in a bad spot if W,
had no administrative f1exibility t,
experiment"
DR.. James A. Cannon came t,
IDr. Cornings defense, saying /
was "straining at gnats" and tina
|Dr. Corning was to be commended
not condemned for coming in will
the solution.
There is a time and a plac'
and a way to do it," Mr.. Lee said
IF we are to permit our schoo
officers to break the board rules
we might as we'll stop meeting.
i The board gave DR.. Corning per
mission to continue the program
/ Other Actions Taken.
In other actions. the board:
Changed the title of the whit
division of the school system tt
division l and the colored divi
sion to Division 2. Previously thu
white had been known as Divi
sions 1-9 and the colored as Divi
sions 1913.
/ Received from DR.. Corning hi
report on two ways to relieve part
time classes at the Payne Ele
mentary School and decided II
act on the matter at the Decem
ber meeting.
/ DR.. Corning suggested as on
solution the exchange of tn
Payne and Bryan Elementar.
Schools. sending the colore,
Payne students to the 18-roon
Bryan School and shifting tn
white Bryan pupils to the 8-roon
Payne.
| Parents of pupils at Bryan al
ready are organizing a protes
about this possibility. revealed
Tuesday for the first time. Nor
than rs parents jammed tn
school board meeting to see wha
action the board was going t.
take yesterday.