Evening star., 1961-04-10
Schools in Distress

4OuCAl NOI Po pIOJcCI Cal lcS
with it ample justification
and promise. However, 1t is
also true that the Washing
ton community has troubles
of its own that merit COM
parable attention.
1t should be apparent that
missionary work ought to be
started on Capitol Hill. If it
were not for the tragic con-
sequences that may be visited
upon our school children in
the near future, the situation
regarding the 1861 deficiency
appropriation bill would be
ludicrous.
The House Appropriations
Committee refused to allow
the District a payment of Sc
million that it was author
lied by law to make in lieu
Of taxes. The House District
Committee refused to permit
the local government to levy
taxes to raise this sum Of
money. And then the same
group refused to go along
with a Senate grant Of power
to borrow this amount so that
planned capital outlay items
could be financed. In words
Of one syllable, units Of the
House have determined that
we will not get the funds we
need by any means whatever.
One Of the excuses for de-
nying us funds for projects
we desperately need is that
the operations Of the District
Government are wasteful. Yet
nothing is more extravagant
than this arbitrary delay in
constructing needed buildings
particularly schools. Build
ing costs are constantly ris-
ing and any project currently
needed will be more expen-
sive when it is ultimately
secured.
The school administration
Is going to have to postpone
urgently needed junior high
schools. This is no matter of
conjecture. The children who
are going to overflow the
available capacity are in the
school system right now. The
only alternative to construc-
ton is the institution Of
part-time schedules-i.e., the
irreparable loss Of time criti-
cally needed for the educa-
tion of our children. If the
necessity of using double
shifts for lack Of space isn't
prima facie proof of need, I
can't imagine what is.
On March 2, 1861, there
were 23,973 pupils in junior
high schools - 21,101 in
graded classes-of whom S.
915 were in grade 8, most Of
whom will graduate to senior
high schools in the fall. Of
the 80,671 children in ele-
mentary school classes on the
same date-66,905 in graded
classes-9.064 were in grade
6. and most Of them will
graduate to Junior high
school at the end of the cur
rent school year. Without
taking into consideration
gains Of migrant pupils or
the losses Of students to
suburban school systems, we
may very well find our jun
ior high school population
in September 1851 increased
by about 5000 pupils. Since
1957-58, junior high school
enrollments have grown at
a constantly accelerating
rate and average about 1,5OO
a year. Yet this means
nothing to our legislative
overlords. All they can see
is that I'VE don't need any
additional funds" and we
ARE wasting the money that
is appropriated for us"
What DC. school children
lack Is school, housing for
$4,000 elementary pupils
10000 more seats than are
presently in existence or
planned-and 10000 Junior
high school students-6, 900
more than are now likely to
be available - during the
1965-66 school year. They do
not need structures on econ
omizing. Yet, so far as one
can see now, Heaven will
have to help our public school
children, because Congress
apparently has no intention
of doing so.