Evening star., 1952-01-03
Corning Stays
As School Head,
Unity
Bourd Votes 6 to 3
For Reoppointment
Of Superintendent
BY Colt HendIey, Jr.

By Colt Hendley, Jr.
Although the Board of Educa-
tion split, 6 to 8, in reappointing
him, School Supt. Hobart M.
Corning today said he Is looking
forward tosa new era Of co-opera-
ton in solving the school systems
many problems.
DR.. Corning received his third
appointment as head of the city
schools in brief special session
|of the school board yesterday.
His main critic, Adelbert w.
Lee, board vice president, an
nounced several months ago he
does not intend to serve on the
school board after his present
three-year term expires in June.
With Mr.. Lee gone. DR.. Corning
undoubtedly will find it lot easier
to get along with the school board
members.
Although some members of the
Board of Education would not re-
veal how they voted. the three
votes against DR.. Corning appar-
emily were cast by C. Melvin
Sharpe, president of the board;
Mr.. Lee and DR.. Phillip T. john
son, all Of whom have criticized
DR.. Corning's administration.
Voting for DR.. Corning. it was
understood, were DR.. James A.
Cannon, Mrs. Arcadia Near Phil
lips, Wesley S. Williams. Mrs.
James w. Williams, Albert E.
Steinem and Mrs. E. C. Madge-
burger.
COlored Schools A Problem.
The immediate problems facing
DR.. Corning and the School
Board are concerned with the
city's colored schools. Overcrowded
colored schools. caused by the ex-
panding population and the shift
ing of some areas to colored resi-
dental neighborhoods, have
brought about the problems.
Still unsettled is the Payne
Webb Elementary School situa-
ton which sent colored parents
on a ee-day strike last month.
The parents objected to the trans
fer of Madison Elementary School
from white to colored as a solu-
ton Of overcrowding at Payne
School.
They demanded the transfer Of
the much closer Bryan Element
airy School from white to colored
instead.
Madison Transfer Ordered.
AS the matter stands now, the
Board of Education has ordered
the transfer of Madison School to
coiored pupils in February for the
beginning of the new term.
l The Payne Webb parents called
of the strike and have been in
consultation with DR.. Corning
since, attempting to work out a
satisfactory solution. Webb School
was involved because many of the
Payne children have been going
there because they just can't jam
into Payne.
DR.. Corning said he was to meet
with the parents again and he
hoped the matter could be settled
to every ones satisfaction. He
said he was going over in great
detail with the parents just what
; the shift Of schools would mean.
He pointed out that Payne chill
dren would not be sent to the dis
tant Madison, but there would be
a shifting of pupils along the line.
:, involving a number of other
schools.
| Another Problem Pending.
I The second big problem to be
faced Immediately is the DISPOSE
tion of the River Terrace Ele-
mentary School, now under con-
struction at Thirty-fourth and
Dix streets NE.
Started as a white school in a
predominantely white neighbor-
hood, the building is scheduled
for completion next month. But,
since its beginning. many colored
families have been moving into
the River Terrace area.
The Board of Education now
probably will have to decide
whether it should be a white or
a colored school.
/ DR.. Corning said he had in
structed his staff to take a census
in the neighborhood to see Just
what the situation is.
i School Badly Needed.
4 White children in River Ter.
race now are attending the Ben.
) ming Elementary School, while coll
ored children are housed at the
Young Elementary School. DR..
Corning said the area needed
school badly. as it is more or less
ian island. inconveniently distant
from the other elementary schools
in Northeast Washington.
The third immediate problem
facing DR.. Corning and the school
board is the pressing need for
more teachers for the colored
schools. The school board already
has authorized him to ask for
deficiency appropriation when
Congress meets again to furnish
the extra teachers.