Evening star., 1952-10-31
Negroes 10 Seek
Talks on School
0vercrowding
Southeast Residents
Vote Plea to Board
And Commissioners

wore FIeQ TO bo0r0
And Commissioners
Negro residents of Southeast
Washington will seek meetings
with the Commissioners and the
Board of Education on overcrowd-
ing Of Negro schools in the area.
The plans were reported by
John Duncan. president of the
Federation of Civic Associations,
following a meeting last night with
representatives of six civic organi-
cations and four parent-teacher
groups.
He said the city heads would be
asked to have c. Melvin Sharpe,
school board president, attend
their meeting. A separate meeting
with the school board itself also
will be sought.
Approve Bryan Transfer.
Mr.. Duncan said last nights
confereeS agreed that the transfer
of the Bryan School at Thirteenth
and B streets Sc. to Negro use
would help alleviate the over
crowding.
But he said a longer-term
answer would be the transfer of
the Buchanan Building, a white
school at Thirteenth and D streets
Sc.
If Bryan is transferred to Negro
students, he said, demands will
come within a year or two for
Buchanan.
Mr.. Duncan warned the situa-
ton could develop into something
as serious as the Central High
School controversy of two years
ago. Central was transferred to
Negro use.
He contended the board should
solve such matters at an early
stage, rather than letting them
become city-wide issues. He said
other organizations were becom-
ing increasingly alarmed" over
the situation.
The Buchanan School has 20
rooms with a capacity of 72O pu-
pills. Bryan has 18 rooms with a
capacity of 648.
OvercrOwding Would Continue.
Mr.. Duncan pointed out that
even with the seven-roorl addi-
tion being built at the Payne
School, there would be overcrowd-
ing.
At a press conference today,
School Supt. Hobart M. Corn
ing said the addition may be
completed before the February
schedule. This. he said, would
eliminate part time classes at the
Payne and Maury schools. Also,
he said, children from the Payne
area now assigned to Webb would
be brought back to the school
nearest their homes.
DR.. Corning admitted that If
the population trend continues as
at present, there will be q need
for additional facilities for Negro
students.
White House Picketing Studied.
The Payne-Maury PARENT
Teacher Association has discussed
possibilities of picketing the White
House, the Board Of Education
and the Commissioners unless
Bryan is turned over for Negro
use.
Mr.. Duncan, however, advocated
other measures to bring action
unless the combined efforts of
civic groups indicated picketing.
He and a number of representa-
tives have been authorized by the
civic federation to act on the
problem.
The Federation of Parent
Teacher Associations Of the Dis
trict. meanwhile called for action
to relieve what it considers a
shortage Of teachers in the Negro
public schools here.
Vote to Visit Board.
The federation, representing
parent-teacher associations in
Negro schools, also approved last
night resolution to send a dele
cation to the School Board Ap-
pointing Committee of the u. ST.
District Court for the District of
Columbia about unfair repre-
sentation."
1t was held that since more than
half the students in public schools
are Negroes, the one-third ratio
OF colored board members is in
adequate.
In discussing the number of
teachers and central administra-
tive officers for the Negro public
schools. the federation cited a
report last week by DR.. Harold A.
Haynes, head of the Negro schools
division, that GA teachers were
needed to bring the size of classes
down to Board of Education
standards.
The body praised DR.. Hayes for
his public stand"
It was voted to send committees
to see DR.. Corning on the matters.
In its first general session of the
year, the federation elected Robert
F. Brooks president to succeed
Mrs. Hannah Harris, who resigned
because of Ill health. The meeting
was in the Logan School, Third
and G streets NE.