Evening star., 1954-01-15
School Board
Weighs Shift
Of Petworth
Herring PIonned;;
Committee Backs =
KeniIworth Transfer
By jones 6. Deone

Transfer Of Petworth Elemen-
tary School to Negro pupils is
under consideration by the
Board of Education.
Supt. Hobart M. Corning yes
terday proposed making the
transfer next July. A public
hearing will be scheduled before
the board acts on the matter.
however.
The boards Buildings and
Grounds Committee, meanwhile.
yesterday approved transferring
another white school-Kenil-
worth-to colored pupils on Feb
-ruary l. The full board is ex-
pected to confirm this switch
next week.
The buildings CO m mitte e e
turned down a plea from Negro
parents for another immediate
Sransfer. Parents asked for
either the Woodbridge or Lang
don School. but DR.. Corning said
no switch of either of these is
justified now.
Petworth Below Capacity.
Petworth. at Eighth and Shep-
herd streets NV. now has only
176 white pupils, 400 under
capacity. Park View. the nearest
Negro school. by contrast has
I'll more than its theoretical l.
332 capacity. and enrolment
there is expected to continue
growing.
If the transfer is ordered. Pet
worth's white pupils next fall
will go to Raymond. Powell and
Barnard Schools.
Petworth is two blocks from
the white Roosevelt High School
and Macfarland Junior High.
There was little discussion yes
terday about the Kenilworth
transfer. Kenilworth. at Forty
fourth and Ord streets NE. now
has only % white pupils, who
are slated to move to the Ben
ming School. Kenilworth will
take pupils from the crowded
Carver School.
Mrs. Butcher Critical.
Mrs. Margaret j. Butcher
sharply criticized DR.. Corning s
opposition to a Woodbridge OF
Langdon transfer. however. an
grily labelling it a "brush-off. "
This DR.. Corning denied and
Mrs. Butchers two Negro COL
leagues both backed the super
intendent.
Negro parents asked for the
transfer to relieve crowding at
Slowe and at Noyes, a school
that was switched from white
to colored pupils last summer.
DR.. Corning said. however, that
transferring either Woodbridge or
Langdon would leave the re-
naming white school just about
as overpopulated as the two col
ored schools.
The superintendent also said
the colored schools will be very
greatly relieved by a transfer
OF three special classes of handi-
capped children from Slowe to
another colored school. This
shuffling will cut the average
class size at both Noyes and
Slowe to just above 81.
Mrs. Butcher declared this still
is unsatisfactory because it
leaves the classes one pupil above
the official standard, The Negro
board member criticized DR..
Corning's approach to the mat
ter as negative" asserting:
I'VE might as we'll suspend
the activities of the Board of
Education until the Supreme
Court decision Con school race
segregation) if we're not going
to settle this"
Critical Of Parents Plea.
Mrs. Butcher also took James
H. Prentice. a Woodbridge parent,
to task after Mr.. Prentice, argu-
ing against transfer, said the
Woodbridge area "is still a stable
white neighborhood where homes
are still being sold to white peo-
Pile" Mrs. Butcher branded Mr..
Prentice's arguments "pure rae
ism" and rebuked him for thus
addressing the board.
DR.. Corning said house-to-
house canvass now is being made
In the Woodridge-Langdo area
to see what enrolment prospects
for next fall are like. He said
the time might come very soon
when a transfer will have to be
considered again.
Mrs. Butcher caused another
tangle when she reprimanded
Associate Supt. John M. Riecks
for telling a newspaper reporter
Mckinley High School couldn't
be made ready for any transfer
to Negroes by February /. She
suggested Mr.. Riecks might have
consulted the superintendent be-
fore making any such statement.
Defended by Corning.
DR.. Corning defended Mr..
Riecks, stating he would make
no attempt to prevent a subordi-
nate official from giving his
opinion on a technical matter.
Walter N. Tobriner. board
member, asked Mrs. Butcher:
do you think the superin-
tendent should censor all state
ments by school officers to the
press?"
Mrs. Butcher said she did not.
But she accused Mr.. Riecks of
giving the impression "some one
was trying to steal Mckinley
away"
She complained she has been
receiving anonymous letters criti-
cizing her for advocating a Nc
Kinley transfer.
Retired Group to Meet