Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-05-09
County Board
Navy
School Contract
Montgomery Agrees
To Train Electricians
At Junior College

of Education has approved a
$275 900 contract with the Navy
to train electricians mates at
Montgomery Junior College, Ia
koma Park.
Dean Hugh G. Price of the col
lege said after the boards action
yesterday that the contract is the
only one of its kind in the country.
Under the agreement, the coll
lege will set up a 14-week course
beginning June Is for men selected
by the Navy after they have COM
pleted boot training.
He added the institution also
will house and feed the trainees,
while the Navy will furnish special
equipment and IL instructors in
addition to the three to be made
available by the college.
Will Fill Gaps.
Dean Price said the Navy ini-
tiated the proposal because it had
operated similar program during
the war at the Bliss Electrical
School, which was taken over by
the college last year.
This" said Dean Price, will
help fill the enrolment gap re-
sulting from students being called
into the armed forces"
The board also cleared the
school maintenance department
of any misuse of funds.
An investigating committee,
headed by oBard Member Thomas
S, Jackson, reported it found
no evidence to substantiate
reports that Maintenance Director
K. P. Grabarkiewicz had used
school funds to pay employees who
had worked at his home.
The investigation of the MAIN
tenance department was UNDER
taken last month after two former
employees had charged misappro-
Ipriations of school funds in aff1-
davits to States Attorney Walter
wv. Dawson. Mr.. Dawson also is
looking into the charges but has
not yet completed his check.
In view of the School Boards
findings. however, it is believed
the matter will be dropped.
The investigating COMMITTEES
said, in its five-page report, that
Mr.. Grabarkiewicz had receipts
showing he had paid the men out
Eof his personal funds to build an
addition to his home.
OFF Duty at Time.
The committee also quoted the
men as saying they had done the
work while they were off duty and
had volunteered for the job. Nor
did the committee find any ir-
Irregularities in overtime and pay
records.
The investigating group said il
had interviewed the two former
employees but that their state
ments were principally of a hear
say character.
To prevent any confusion in
the future in the maintenance
departments operations, the COM
mittee recommended several
changes in methods of keeping
records. It also urged that all
School Board trucks bear the
boards name and a number, that
no board trucks be used for pri-
vate business and that the school
superintendent be notified when
any one in a supervisory position
proposes to employ any one under
his supervision on a private or
personal job while the employee is
off duty.
Other members of the commit
tee are Wiley w. Barrow, Mrs.
Durward v. Sandifer and H. STAN
ley Slime.
Mrs. Baylor Elected.
The board elected Mrs. Ben B.
Baylor as president to succeed
Mrs. Herman Wilson, whose term
on the board has expired. Mr..
jackson was named vice president,
Mrs. Baylor was named after
Mr.. Barrow had declined to ac-
cept nomination to the post be-
cause Il am not wholly in accord
with the county's educational
philosophy"
Mr.. Barrow is member of the
Parents League for Curriculum
Improvement, which has charged
school heads with failing to place
SUFFICIENT emphasis on the "es-
sentials of learning" such as
reading, writing and arithmetic.
In other business, the board ac-
copied the recommendation of DR..
V. l.. Ellicott, county health officer.
that Richard Montgomery and
George Washington Carver High
Schools be used as hospitals in
case of emergency, under the civil
defense program.
At the same time, the board
awarded a $232,974 contract to
L. j. Keller & Sons for a shop and
gymnasium at the Carver High
School.
The group also plans to meet
soon with architects and builders
OF several schools where construc-
ton is tagging in an attempt to
ISpeed I'm tho unrk