Evening star., 1960-08-28
Area Schools Set for Record 440, 900,
Up 10000 Over Enrolment in 1859
BY JOHN NJ. ROSSON
Star Stan Writer

In the next 10 days, a record
breaking 100000 pupils will
drop their summer cavortings
and file into the Washington
areas public and parochial
schools.
This hig h S t-ever figure.
which some officials say will
reach the half-million mark
next year, means a whopping
increase Of some 10000 over
last years area-wide enroll
ment.
Included, in addition to the
District, are Montgomery and
Prince Georges Counties in
Maryland and Arlington. Fair
fax and Loudoun Counties and
Alexandria and Falls Church in
Virginia.
What this years area student
will encounter in the way of
a trend - one which school
spokesmen say is significant
because of its widespread appli-
cation here-iS a concentrated
effort in all Jurisdictions to
provide, for the first time, max
imum educational opportuni-
ties for youngsters of different
abilities.
Special Programs Stressed
Emphasis will be placed on
special programs, not only for
the gifted student, but for the
mentally and physically handi-
capped pupil as we'll.
In accordance with a Nation
wide movement reported re-
Gently by the National Educa-
tion Association the Washing
ton area also will see at least
two instances of a longer
school day an additional
period added to the day on a
voluntary basis.
AS might have been expect
ed, this years big increase in
the number of students has
necessitated a big increase in
the number of teacher OPEN
ingS. The area will have about
700 more teachers than it had
last year.
Building Speeded
While overcroWding is still
a problem and some students
will be forced to attend half
day sessions, last years record
enrolment of 100000 pupils
Spurred building programs
throughout the area so that
this year some 40 new schools
will be pressed into operation.
many of them in time for the
first term. A few will open
later, most of them by Decem-
ber !.
Generally, Virginia schools
will open on Thursday. The
exception is Alexandria where
classes will begin on Septem-
ber 6. A September 6 date also
has been set for Montgomery
and Prince Georges Counties.
District schools will open the
following day, September 7.
Schedule of Openings
Those opening Thursday,
and their expected enrollments,
are: 4
Arlington - $4,000, an in
crease of 1900 over last year.
Fairfax County - $4,000, an
increase of 5000. +
Falls Church-2,1OO, an in
crease of 100.
LOudOun COunty-5,600, an
increase of 200.
Those opening September 6,
with expected enrollments, are:
Alexandria - 14.500, an in
crease OF 500 over last year.
Montgomery County-80,00O,
an increase of 6,100 over last
year, the largest enrolment
jump in the area.
Prince Georges County-69,-
600, an increase of 4,600.
District schools, opening the
next day, will have a record
enrolment of l21,4O0, an in
crease of 1000 over last year.
The parochial schools under
jurisdiction of the Catholic
Archdiocese of Washington will
open on varying dates, usually
in accordance with public
school openings in the respec-
tive areas. The archdiocese en-
rollment will be about $4,000,
an increase of approximately
1000 students over last years
count.
Catholic schools in nearby
Virginia, under jurisdiction cf
the Archdiocese of Richmond,
will have an approximate en-
rollment of 1890, about 1000
more than last year.
New Direction Taken Here
No longer in the national
spotlight because of integra-
ton. the Washington area
school systems appear headed
in another direction. notably
the offering of new, and some
what experimental programs
for youngsters at the two ends
of the school spectrum, the
gifted and the deficient.
Arlington, for example, is
opening its first school for the
mentally deficient. At the same
time. it is offering Russian for
the first time to a particularly
bright group of students.
While some Jurisdictions be-
gan special programs for the
deficient pupil last year. the
efforts along this line will be
stepped up this year through
out the area. In some jurisdic-