Evening star., 1953-05-06
Citizens Press Board
For School Projects
In 3-Hour Session

III j-nOuT SeSSIOn
District school officials were
wrestling with a new batch Of
school demands from citizens
today.
Spokesman for more than 40
organizations bombarded the
Board of Education with school
requests last night. They asked
for half a dozen new buildings.
replacements, building and pu-
pill shifts, additions and renova-
ton projects.
Speakers also urged spending
tax funds for teaching retarded
children. buying musical instru-
mepts, hiring more teachers and
making school budgeting more
flexible all around.
The school board every spring
invites the public to make known
its desires for school projects.
This years session, applying to
the budget starting a year from
next July. was held last night
az Thomson School.
A few citizens made some
critical comments about last
minute. plan changing and de-
lays. ut most were intent
e merely on getting pet projects
on the record. Board members
listened patiently for three
hours, and Vice President Albert
E. Steinem, who presided, said
they would give the suggestions
careful consideration.
Requests for new c1assrooms
came mainly from faSt-growing
neighborhoods in the far North
east and Southeast, but a dele
cation from one Northwest school
Shepherd Elementary. at Four
teenth street and Kalmia road
made strong plea.
Mrs. Samuel BigiO, PTA pres
ident. said Shepherd urgently
needs an addition to relieve over
croWding. The 11-room white
school now serves 433 children
and more are in sight, she said.
Kelsey Gardner and Stanley
Hayman of the Shepherd Park
Citizens Association, backed Mrs.
Bigio's plea. Mr. Hayman also
urged planning for a Junior high
and even a senior high in the
area.
William Karr of the Lamond
Heights Citizens Association,
said a new white junior high and
elementary school are needed
badly in his neighborhood. in the
far Northeast.
"All of our children have
very long hike to get to either
Paul or Taft" he declared, on
the junior high matter. He
urged getting a site for the new
school before available land dis
appears.
Mrs. Dorothy G. Chism, of the
Bunker Hill PTA, asked for
new white grade school between
Bunker Hill and Keene Schools.
Bunker Hill has just had an adj
dition built. but it will be over
flowing again by September. 1856.
she predicted. @
Maj. Joseph P. Ramsay said
% Southeast civic groups still
hope to persuade Congress to
restore to next winters budget
projected white. Junior high at
Fourth street, and Mississippi
avenue Sc. But he said they
wanted to, be sure 1t made the
1954-S budget Il it isn't started
sooner s>"'-
DIR. Otis Farley, of the Capitol
Hill Southeast Citizens Associa-
tion.. said Anacostia also needs
"a new elementary claSsrooms
and might need new white
senior high school as well.
Relief for croWding at the col
ored. Park View School, Newton
and Otis streets NV. was asked
by Mrs. E. T.. Weeks of the
schools PTA. She suggested
nearby white Raymond School,
only partly occupied, might be
transferred.
John T. Grant, jr., of the
Southeast Civic Association
urged either transferring Arm
strong High School students to
Mckinley High School or build
ing "a new Armstrong. The
transfer proposal has been un-
der consideration by school Of
f1cialS for some time.
Allen Nj. Avery of the North
east Boundary Civic Association
asked immediate construction of
a proposed colored junior high
at Forty-second and Grant
streets NE. He also proposed a
new Negro junior high in Ana
costa.
Mr.. Avery protested deletion
from the long-range construc-
ton program of new Merritt
Elementary School. The present
Merritt, he asserted, should be
condemned as unsafe.
The deletion, from the sixth
year of the program. was made
recently by the Commissioners
and subsequently approved by
the school board. After Mr..
Avery's protest. Mr.. Steinem or
dered a check on the buildings
condition.
An eloquent plea for replacing
the present white Health School,
which serves youngsters with
physical handicapS, was made by
COmdr. George Dixon. He pro-
posed relocating the school in
some underpopulated building.
His request drew applause.
Provision for mentally retarded
youngsters was asked by Mrs.
Willis King of Help for Retarded
Children, Inc: Peter j. Connolly
of the Greater WASHINGTON