Evening star., 1957-03-22
Neglected Schools

Neglected Schools
On March S. I went on the
tour of the public schools con-
Quoted by the League of Wom-
en- Voters. For me, it was
largely a revisiting of schools
I had seen before. In 1949, /
took a trip through Browne
Junior High School. On the
way. we passed Young Ele-
mentary School, and refer
ence was made to the serious
overcrowding there. A short
time later. I was escorted
through Hine Junior High
School. and saw how poor an
educational plant it was. The
next year. l visited Sousa
Junior High School and looked
in on a couple of the six or
seven classrooms that housed
pupils from the overcrowded
Klmball Elementary School.
Now, in 1857, have been to
Young. Hine and Kimball. to
md conditions basically un-
changed. In studying enroll
ment data since the l95l-52
school year tafter making any
necessary adjustments for ad-
dltional capacity and or the
change in the standard pupil
teacher ratio from SO to l
to 80 TO -, l found that some
improvement has occurred at
klmball Annex. where enroll
ment has dropped continu-
ously from 265 in 1851 to l4l
IN 1856 the northumberland
itself has always been over
populated. except in 1865. but
in 1856 the enrolment capac-
lty ratio was at its peak-ll7.O
per cent. Young has never, in
the period studied. had an en-
rollment-capacity ratio lower
than 1882 per cent 1882.
and attained its peak of 1865
per cent in 1855; in 1856. it
was 1888 per cent.
AS for Hine, since I last was
there it has been necessary to
discontinue use OF the audi
torlum, because the means of
egresS presented fire hazards
that could not be remedied.
This school was recommended
for replacement in the Strayer
Report, dated February 28.
l949 tp. 342). On November IA.
l948, Assistant Superintendent
Lawson j. Cantrell justified a
new building in the following
terms:
This building (the present
Hine) has no assembly hall
whatever. The only provision
for cafeteria and dining room
consists Of two or three old
basement rooms converted into
a cafeteria. These are not only
too small, but are difficult to
maintain in a sanitary condi-
ton and should not be- used for
lunchroom purposes. The GYM
naSlumS are undersized, hav-
ing been constructed in a space
that did not permit the GYMS
to be of standard size. Ter
mites and reaches are in such
numbers that the cafeteria be-
comes almost beyond use in
the spring. The heating plant
is old and in such poor con-
dition that some of the rooms
have to be vacated in cold
weather. The roof of the
building Is in such need of re-
pairs that it constantly leaks.
causing actual danger"
The failure to remedy these
conditions cannot be charged
to the school authorities. They
have been seeking a Hine re-
placement from fiscal year
l943 to, and including, the 1857
budget.
1t seems clear that District
authorities and Congress have
shown no appreciation of the
hardships endured by the pu-
pills in horrible Hine. They
certainly have given these
children no relief from the
burdens they have borne.
Rather, they have forced the
school administration to con-
sign these children to infe-
rior education. because OF
the accident Of residential
location, and to discriminate
against them for no sufficient
reason. Every Junior high
school pupil at each of the 30
other schools enjoys some sub
stantial advantage not af-
'orded Hine students, by reason
of their inferior school plant.
So far as one can tell, there
Is no hope for the children at
Hine in the foreseeable future.
unless the Commissioners and
the Congress take eyes off con-
siderations Of economy" and
focus them on providing sound
education for children. Since
l943. the responsible authori-
ties have failed to furnish
Hine students with the facil-
ities needed to educate them
for life in our modern world.
vlarrw n Mnrtnao