Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-10
Building Delays Force
Double Shifts at ;
Schools in Arlington

Some $500 pupils at three Ar
lington Junior High schools will
go to classes on a double shift
basis for an indeterminate time
when classes open next month,
the Arlington school board said
last night.
The three schools affected are
Williamsburg, Stratford, and
Swanson. The county ended
double shifts, which had been in
effect for 80 years. only last De-
cember.
School officials said that the
double shift is necessary be-
cause the new 1.200-student Will
hamsburg building. now under
construction. will not be COM
pleted by September, and be-
cause a new addition being built
at Swanson will not be ready
until January.
Strikes Delay Builders.
Construction delays resulting
from strikes in industries sup
plying steel and aluminium win
dows was blamed by school Of
f1cialS.
Stratford students will share
their building with the Williams
burg student body. Stratford
pupils will be In the classrooms
in the morning and Williams
burg students will be in school
during the afternoon. At Swan
son. eighth and ninth grade
students will go to school in the
morning, and seventh grade
students will attend in the after
noon.
The shifts will provide for a
minimum of four hours of in
struction daily instead of the
regular six-hour day.
Board members pointed out
that construction plans origin
ally called for completion of the
Swanson addition next year.
Arlington's population has grown
so rapidly, however, they said
that the project was begun
ahead of time. More than 1900
pupils who attended elementary
schools in the county last year
are expected to enroll in the
seventh grade next month, as
compared with 1,476 enrollments
in the seventh grade last Sep
TENDER.
Depends on Settlement.
Completion of the 50 million
Williamsburg School, being built
largely with Federal funds
granted because of the county's
heavy influx of Federal employees,
depends entirely on settlement
of the metal workers strike,
which began July 6. according
to E. j. Braun, assistant school
superintendent in charge of con-
struction and finance.
The School Board last night
also moved to block an attempt
by a builder to add $45. 900 to a
$598, $40 contract already ac-
cepted by the board for an addi-
ton at the Patrick Henry Ele-
mentary and Thomas jefferson
Junior High Schools.
The board voted to get the
signature Of L. r. Broyhill, Ar
lington contractor, on his low
bid within 10 days. The action
came after board members were
told that Mr.. Broyhill, through
Attorney John Locke Green, is
seeking to revise the contract in
Arlington Circuit Court.
Mr.. Braun said the firm left
out, by mistake a $4,000 item for
remodeling boilers at the addi-
ton, which will connect the
physical plants of the Henry and
Jefferson School buildings. He
said the Broyhill bid. which was
$4,000 less than the next high
est bid, was accepted in good
faith last week, and stressed that
the School Board would be de-
Tending a principle rather than
trying to take advantage of the
mistake.
Mr.. Braun said II the court
refuses to revise the contract,
the contractor will have to take
the loss on the boiler conversion
or forfeit a $4,000 performance
bond.