Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1963-09-26


implications, and reveal a serious misunder-
standing of what a Junior mmunity-col-
lege is and what such an institution is sup
posed to do.
1. The letter declares ut has been clearly
stated by the director of school services that
the buildings and equipment with one or two
exceptions, are inadequate and obsolete at
the Takoma Park Campus" The director Of
school services denies making such state
ment or holding this opinion Further, in my
discussions with the director of school facility,
the head of the maintenance division, Dean
Deyo, Dean Ehrbright Dr. Whittier, the fire
marshal of the Takoma Area and others in
positions to know thoroughly the Takoma
Park facilities, l find no such opinion. just
the contrary. The college and school board
stats have consistently recommended that
the Takoma facility continue to be operated
indefinitely as a vital unit in the county
junior college program. The science and IL
brary buildings are new and modern. The
three older buildings have new permanent
roofs, guaranteed for long life; the heating
systems are in excellent condition 1.-TWO OF the
heating units are relatively new, after over
30 years life of the old oneS) electrical panels
and distribution systems have been replaced
Altogether, the buildings are in better condi
ton than they have ever been since the col
lege began operations there Ia years ago.
Maintenance is no higher than for any other
buildings of comparable size in the county
system. The state superintendent has stated
orally and in writing that the Takoma facility,
though not ideal and in need of relief in GER
tain areas which are supplementary to the
adequate basic Institutional facilities, is fully
adequate and considered by the state to be
well worth additional investments by the state
to improve the auxiliary facilities.
There is a need for improved athletic
facilities, for a larger library and for ad-
ditional parking at Takoma. But these needs
are as crucial as they now are because
Takoma is so greatly overcrowded, far be-
yond its normal capacity The laboratories
and classrooms have seating capacity for
1854 students and the long range staff recon-
mendation is for 1900 to 1900 full time stu.
dents Cor equivalent al Takoma. The present
enrolment is about $500 students, full and
parttime, and next year the number will be
over 5000! When, in 1865, with Rockville OPEN
ing, the Takoma enrolment returns to nor
NAL, the present apparent inadequacies in
auxiliary facilities will appear in true pers-
pective and can be rectified at reasonable cost.
q Now about COSTS which Betty Saunders
did not mention, but which is of Importance
to every citizen and is of special concern to
economy minded people: The total capital in
vestment at Takoma is $1,550,000 for land,
buildings, equipment and furnishings For the
recommended longterm enrolment, capacity,
this is equivalent to $1,000 per pupil.
The cost of Rockville, Phase 1, as origi-
nally proposed, is $4,649,000. The nominal
student capacity proposed for this facility is
1900, though perhaps 1000 students could be
accommodated. The latter figure gives $2320
capital investment per student The total
Rockville facility, when completed, will cost
$130O0000 and will have capacity of 5000,
which figures to $500 capital investment for
each student. Why should we abandon an
adequate fully accredited facility, which cost
us only $1,000 per pupil land only $500 per
pupil if the approved gymnasium and library
expansion were added for another facility
which would have to be expanded to house
these students at cost of $4,000 to $500 per
pupil? The Rockville campus will be a more
expansive and expensive facility, and will
probably cost more per pupil to operate than
Takoma. What is to be gained by any such
irresponsible economics? Why should we de-
hberately spend tax money unnecessarily by
overbuilding at Rockville at extra costs of
$1100 per pupil moved from Takoma, to rob
the heavily populated Silver Spring -Takoma
area of conveniently located facility which
within two or three more years would be
filled by their students alone? Why not keep
Takoma to prevent Rockville itself from be-
coming overcrowded four or five years earlier
than it otherwise would lin the early 1909?
3. 1t is stated that higher education does
not mean where the student who has
signed up for two year college course drops
out before graduation, or strings out his
junior college experience for three or four
years." and that the graduating class last
June numbered only 165 from an original en-.
rollment of over 2000" :. The latter state
ment is grossly inaccurate and the former
one, as do several others in the letter, reveals
hopeless misunderstanding of the role and
function of a Community Junior College. In
the fall of 1861, when last years graduating
class enrolled as Freshmen, there were POPS
total students in the college. The Freshmen
class numbered 1853, of which only 679 were
fulltime, first-term students; the remainder
were in various special and parttime cate
gories. In the college that year more than
400 students were specials" adults in night
classes ETC., enrolled for only course or two,
who had no interests whatever in graduation,
and many others were progressing toward
graduation at less than "full-time" speed. Two
vaare latar in limo of 1863 OF transfer stu.