Evening star., 1952-12-12
Fairfax Officials
Visit Schools 10
Study Crowding
FindcNew Buildings
Still Won't Take Care
| Of Student Increase
By Mory Lou Werner

By Mory Lou Werner
For months now. residents Of
Fairfax County have been hear
ing about new school construc-
ton bond issue referendum.
Parents of children in crowded
and makeshift classrooms no
doubt have wondered what's TAX
ing so long. Many were anxious
to have the referendum in Mo-
vember.
Still others-mindful of the 4
cent tax levy increase that comes
with each new 81 million debt
have asked why another bond is
sue is needed so soon. They
argue the school board still hasn't
spent all of the last $10.5 million
school construction bond issue.
Supervisors Visit Schools.
To answer some of these doubts
and acquaint strategic county Of
f1cials with the school situation,
members of the school board yes
terday took the Board of Super
viSors and others on an all-day
tour of some typical schools. The
school board is anxious to have
the supervisors support for the
new bond issue which appears
headed for a vote in January.
No one on the tour attempted to
deny that there is need for more
classrooms. OF course, some Of
the conditions they saw will be
helped by the current building
program,
But the current building pro-
gram-including all available
money still to be spent-will give
the county standard classrooms for
only 10000 pupils. Already the
enrollment exceeds that number
by 1000 and about 1000 more peo-
lple are moving into the county
each month. BY 1855, school Off
cials calculate the enrolment will
be 30,945. They figure 419 new
classrooms should be provided in
the new bond issue to accommo-
date that number of students.
Still Far Short of Needs.
At the Graham Road School the
supervisors saw an example Of
what was done with the last bond
issue. This 20-olassroom school
was completed this fall, with the
exception of four classrooms which
were built a year earlier: Ideally.
it would serve 600 students. Al
ready 776 are enrolled, and it has
been necessary to partition four
primary classrooms into eight
rooms.
: School officials were particularly
/ proud to show those in charge Of
the county purse strings how
/ plaster was left off the walls to
5 economiZe. The cinderblock walls
are painted pastel colors and are
bright despite the absence Of
, plaster.
The Louise Archer School for
colored was next on the tour.
Here the supervisors saw a re-
Gently completed addition of four
classrooms, multi-purpose room
and a library. 1t is much like the
Graham Road School, with plas-
terless walls. Altogether, it has
seven classrooms-including the
original three which were part Of
an old, wooden school.
The 14-room Oakton School also
Offered a lesson in crowding. 1t
. currently is schooling 664 students.
This has been accomplished by
dividing nine of the standard-size
classrooms.
See Fairfax CrOwding.
At Fairfax High School the SUI
perviSorS saw a Seven-room addi-
: ton under construction. 1t will
make Fairfax High big enough for
, 200 students. but already 1,700
are enrolled. The new Annandale
High School, to be built from cur
: rent funds, will take care of some
of the excess Fairfax High stu
: dents. and new high school at
lLewinsville proposed for the new
: bond issue would accommodate
/ others.
Franconia Elementary School
was the most crowded of all. Four
, makeshift classrooms have been
/ provided in the firehouse, about
a block from the school. Three
/, more classrooms are in quonset
, huts. and two more are in a tar
paper covered frame building.
, These, plus II classrooms in the
school, accommodate 1852 children.
About 100 students are on half
day shifts. There is relief in
sight. however, when the new
Springfield Elementary School and
Happy Valley Elementary School
both currently under construc-
tion-are completed.
The tour also took in the new
Belle View Elementary School,
completed recently.
Within the next week. the school
board hopes to decide exactly
where the new classrooms should
go and get an idea how much it
is going to cost. Then the school
board must decide how big the
bond issue should be. Bond issue
referendum petitions with sigma
lures of 5000 voters are ready for
presentation to the court as soon
as the amount is decided.
Rev. B. D. Tucker, Jr.,