Evening star., 1952-05-22
Defeat Of Eliot Plan
losses School Space
Issue Back 10 Official, /,

lS9UC DUN " VIIIIIQIy
School officials began alf over
again today their efforts to find
school space for an expected sur
plus of some 1,400 colored pupils
in Northeast and Southeast Wash
ington next fall.
The Board of Education yester-
day rejected School Supt. Hobart
M. Corning's proposal that Eliot
Junior High School, at Eighteenth
and B streets NE, be shifted
from white to colored pupils. The
vote was five to four.
This left DR.. Corning and his
staff without plans for excess stu
dents expected in the Browne
Miller and Randall Junior High
Schools.
Studies Move to Eastern.
DR.. Corning said he will study
the possibility of putting Eliot stu
dents in Eastern High School,
adjacent to the junior high. He
pointed out this was rejected by
school officers last year in the con-
troversy which ended with trans
fer of Langley Junior High from
white to colored pupils.
He would not comment on other
avenues school officials will ex-
plore to meet the situation.
The Buildings and Grounds
Committee had rejected the pro-
posal on Monday, torecasting its
defeat in the full school board.
Voting for the transfer of Eliot
yesterday were DR.. Phillip T.
Johnson, Mrs. James w. Williams
and Wesley Williams, the three
colored school board members,
and DR.. James A. Cannon.
Opposed were c. Melvin Sharpe
school board president; Adelbert
w. Lee, Mrs. E. C. Magdeburger,
Albert E. Steinem, and Mrs,
Arcadia Near Phillips.
Statistics Called Ignored.
DR.. johnson accused the ma
jority of the school board OF
ignoring the statistics on school
Ienrollments. He said they were
mot fulfilling the pledge of equal
but separate schools here.
Mr.. Williams made a strong plea
for the transfer, citing statistics to
show the many empty seats in the
white high and junior high
schools.
1T is our obligation to furnish
education to all the children" he
declared.
He cited the fact that the white
high schools have a capacity of
1887 but are serving only 6,918
pupils. The white Junior highs,
he said, have a capacity of 1885
and enrollments totaling 9,249.
"How can any one say we are
taking from the little white chill
dren and giving to the colored
Ichildren?" he asked.
DR.. Cannon said Eastern High
School has plenty of room to
handle the Eliot pupils, in addition
to it's present students. He sug-
Igested this as a possible solution.
The school board approved the
transfer Of Fairbrother Elemen-
tary School, Tenth and E streets
S.W., from white to colored.
There had been no contest on
this proposal, though white resi-
dents of the Eliot area strongly
protest Eliot's transfer to colored
pupils.
Adopts Tuition Rates.
In other actions, the School
Board:
Adopted summer tuition rates
for nonresident students-$17.5C
for regular summer students and
$33 so for veterans.
Hetlred Mrs. Marian L. Carle
Americanization School; Daniel S
Coombs, Woodrow Wilson High
School; Mrs. Mary p. Rhamneau
Walker-Jones Elementary School
and Mrs. Edith c. Evans, Dunbar
High School.
Gave permission to Western
High School to install a memorial
stained glass window with funds
presented by senior classes Of pas,
years.
Approved a recommendation BY
DR.. Corning that the schools con.
Itinue to use the District Repair
Shop for repairs to buildings. The
possibility of setting up a schoo
repair shop had been considered
Officially named the new schoo
in River Terrace the River Terract
Elementary School.