Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-19

II
essentials-.desk and chairs,
books and paper. classrooms to
lput them in. and teachers to
lpreside over them.
The new school year has
Opened with outcroppings of
deep-seated administrative prob
lens in all Washington area
communities. Everywhere en-
lrollment Is burgeoning. and
everywhere school administra-
tors are struggling to keep
abreast of it.
Only few months ago there
were 26l. 900 pupils in the seven
public school systems of the
washington Metropolitan Area
Rising to 277.50O
Last week there were almost
l270,000. Within two or three
more weeks. there are expected
to be around $500 more. or q
Ibrand-new total of 277, 500 - q
16. 500 increase within the space
of a few months. Figuring at the
irate Of 80 pupils per teacher
(the elementary standard used
Everywhere in the area except the
District, where a time:worr
standard of SO pupils Is still in
leffect), this increase alone Is
enough to fill 533 classrooms.
|. This week more than 1000 chill
dren-in Montgomery, Prince
Georges and Fairfax Counties
Iare attending part-time ses-
sions. Some teachers are rap
lping for order in quonset huts
Scores Of classes are meeting
i'm libraries. auditoriunns, lunch
rooms, corridors. even rented
rooms In churches. In one Wash
lington elementary school, q class
lis using q converted shower
room.
Some Rooms Lack Teacher
i In some cases, where there
Is space enough, there are moi
enough teachers. so that classes
are oversize despite an empty
room nearby.
| What educational detriment Is
caused by these conditions nc
one can accurately say. But
teachers maintain there cannot
help but be one.
i The Star revealed a few
months ago that more than SIS;
million in area school construc.
ton needs are anticipated BY
'ischool officials between now anc
laround 1860. BY then the tota
of pupils. areawide, Is expected
Ito be a staggering 72,000 greater
than now.
/ The need for new teachers
NATURALLY. will grow proportion.
ately. In Washington, it will
grow more than proportionately
! for the Board of Education has
recently committed itself to es-
tablishing a 30-pupil elementary
class size standard. Nearly 500
teachers will be needed solely
because of this.
| Short Supply
AS the teacher need arises,
the problem Of finding teachers
grows. Teachers nationally are
in short supply. A related prob
lem is that Of teacher pay.
Washington area teachers all
got pay raises this year, but
teacher salaries still are not big
enough to attract enough top
notch people.
WASHINGTON
District schools last Wednes-
day counted a third day enroll
|ment Of 10000, q gain of 1852
over a year ago. The total by
next month is expected to top
LOG. 900.
Supt. Hobart M. Corning said
|on Thursday that the city-wide
elementary average was SO pupils
per class, but many individual
classes are oversize. In addition.
Ia last-minute shortage of ele-
mentary teacher funds developed.
Forty schools opened with one
or two teachers fewer than they
expected, causing many classes
to be doubled up.
More Classes for Retarded
|, A number Of new classes for
retarded children have been set
up. but some Of these may have
to be sacrificed If secondary
teachers are cut back.
Except for the teacher prob
lens. the new year-second under
indignation - started smoothly.
DR.. Corning predicted racial mix
ing would be somewhat extended
beyond last year, when three
fourth of the schools were at
least somewhat biracial. The
first enrolment report by race.
is scheduled next month.
MONTGOMERY
Montgomery County's rapidly
growing school system began
classes last Monday with 5l.786I
pupils. Enrolment is expected
to reach almost $4,000 by Oc-
tober lover 5000 more than
last year.
Some 3,400 pupils started
classes on double shifts. OficialsI
hope to reduce the number by
shifting some pupils to schools
with spare seats, but it appears
that at least 1000 will stay on
part-time schedules for the full
year.
Three new schools-two ele-
and the $l.2 million
North Bethesda Junior High
are open. Several others will be
finished in the next few months.
The Board Of Education was
given $8.5 million for new con-
struction in the coming year,
along with a record $l0.4 mil
linn for nnarafinn aYnensns