Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-22
District Urged
ToAdd Rooms
To 7 Schools

Urgent pleas for more class
rooms for Taft Junior High
School and Keene Elementary
School were being studied by
District school officials today.
Mrs. Frank A. Belle. president
of the Taft PTA. told the Board
of Education yesterday Taft's
enrolment will be at least 375
over the schools official capacity
by next fall and that classes
already are in substan dard
emergency space.
Without additional conStruc-
ton, students next fall will face
the prospect of meeting in the
cafeteria, library, auditorium,
recreation rooms and even a
woman teachers room. she pre-
dicted.
Louis j. Perlstein. vice preSi-
dent of the Keene PTA, said the
school at Rock Creek Church
and Riggs roads N. E. already
has pressed its library and audi
torium into teaching use. Con-
struction of four-room tenn
porary annex, expected to start
soon, won't end these expedients
next fall, he added, because a
bigger enrolment is expected.
Urges Another Four Rooms
Mr.. Perlstein urged construc-
ton of another four-room tenn
porary building for use next fall.
He also touched on the need
for Junior high space. urging
that officials plan a new junior
high school in the neighborhood.
Assistant Supt. John M.
Riecks told Mrs. Belle architects
have stated it isn't physically
possible to add four rooms to
Taft's top floor, as she proposed.
He didn't commit himself on
building a new wing. which he
said was possible structurally.
Regarding Keene. he said IL
would cost at least $780, 900 to
build another temporary and
that it would be used for only a
year. since new school is about
to be started nearby at Sixth
and Riggs roads NV. for COM
pletion by around mid-l957.
Pleas Relayed to Corning
Board President C. Melvin
Sharpe referred both pleas to
Supt. Hobart NJ. Corning for
study.
On other matters yesterday,
the board:
Approved plan to seek the
Commissioners backing in seek
ing inclusion of the District in
any forthcoming Federal aid-to-
schools legislation.
Approved adoption OF stand
ard national teacher examina-
tons to replace the Districts
own exams, as an aid to recruit
ing out-of- town teachers.
Agreed on seeking legislative
authority for the District Teach
ers College to grant master of
arts degrees.
Approved the February / clos
ing of the Ambush Elementary |
School, L street near Sixth S.W., |
and transfer of pupils to An
thony Bowen and S. j. Bowen
schools.
Two Given New Posts
Appointed Mrs. Vera Hunton,
Howard University assistant pro-
fessor, and Miss F. Ruth Finnie, |
school research assistant, to two
new posts of clinical psychologists
In the pupil study department.
Postponed retirement of Miss
Emile Margaret White, super
vising director of foreign Ian
guages. to next June.
Promoted Edward J. Queen,
assistant principal of Randall
Junior High School. to temper
airy principal in the place Of |
Principal Ernest S. Jenkyns,
granted leave.
Retired, effective December
81, Mrs. Annie T. Sargent. teach
er at Paul Junior High; Mrs. |
Fannie B. Gould, teacher att
Grimke School. and Miss Ruth |
e. Davis. teacher at Eastern
High School.
Two controversial matters, the
proposed construction of IL
brary on Janney Elementary
Schools playground and pro-
posed custer of the Police Boys
Club from Brookland School,
were held over for meeting to-