The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-08
PUBLIC SCHOOL
PROBLEMS.
Hard Work in Store for the Board
of Education.
Many Schemes Proposed for the Reduction of
Expenses-Consolidatio of Classes
Rental of Rooms

Inc next one or TWO meetings OF the Board
Of Education will be of greater significance
and watched with greater interest, perhaps
than any past meeting in the history of the
board. A question of vast Importance is to
be settled. that Is, shall the board continue
as purely political machine, or shall polI-
tics be laid aside for while and attention
turned to the Improvement of the School
Department. Probably more vexatious
situation never confronted Board of Edu-
cation.
The one embarrassment that the board is
obliged to meet is financial shortage. That
IL can be successfully met there seems to be
no doubt, but to do it will involve the sacri-
nee oil much political patronage, and there
comes the rub.
One of the means to that end is the consol-
1dation OF classes. and to discover how that
can be best accomplished Superintendent
SWEET and his assistant, Mr.. Babcock, have
Deen buslly engaged for several weeks past.
MIR. SWEETS VIEWS.
Mr.. SWEET said yesterday he had not a
particle OF doubt that great many classes
could be consolldated-indeed, should he
1t would be more to their interest than as
now conducted. His very first tour of in
speclion brought to his notice one school. ON
Bernal Heights, where the grammar grade
had only five pupils. The same grade in
the nearest neighbor had only twenty pu-
pills. The consolidation of thess two classes
would save one teacher and then leave the
class only half as large as it might be-
other similar cases might be mentioned;
anu enough of this work might be Judi
lous ly carried on to save the shortage that is
sure to accrue If the board resolves upon
any other course.
UNNECESSARY RENTALS
Another important fact Mr.. SWEET has
lighted upon is the unnecessary rental of
rooms all over the city. Here a great saw
ing may DO effected by the adoption of q
rule compelling all pupils to attend the
school nearest their homes. This rule has
never yet prevailed in the School Depart
meut of San Francisco, although proposed
time ana again, simply through fear of losing
political strength. 1t remains to be seen
whether the present board will have the
courage to adopt this measure.
There are over 1900 vacant seats In the
School Department at thepresent time, and
yet from $4,000 to $4,000 Is being paid for
rented rooms. Over 500, 900 has been paid
in the last few years for building school
houses, and yet the attendance during the
last school year was less than four years
ago. In 1856 the average daily at
tendance was 81, l46; during the school year
that closed last June the average daily at
tendance was 81, 152. For the year first named
the expenses of the department were $751;
IT'S; Tor the last year, 1888, Ola. In 1886 there
were 773 teachers; in 1890 there were $50.
Hence, it is seen that while the attendance
has decreased in four years nearly 1000 pu-
pills, the number of teachers has increased
Sc and the expenses Sl67, 236. During the
last six months of the lately retired board
twenty-six new classes were added TO the
list, swelling the number of teachers to S85.
or 1l2 more than when the department was
1000 stronger than 1t is
CAUSE OF THE DECREASE
Although !. is side consideration and
has little to do with the financial phases OF
the question, it is an interesting study to
know what has caused this falling off and
where the children have gone. Some tried
to explain that the parochlal schools were
the cause, but a careful scrutiny of the GEN.
sus returns show that the parochial schools
have shrunk during the time referred to in
much greater proportion than the public
schools. So the cause cannot be laid at that
door.
Superintendent SWEET has given the ques-
ton much thought and investigation, and
now believes that he has in q measure
solved 1t. San Francisco has in the last few
years developed wonderfully in the line Of
manufacturing industries where the young
are employed. The presumption is fair that
very large percentage of the children that
would otherwise attend school are employed
in factories. And one fact that sustains the
presumption is that the shrinkage in the
schools is in the higher grades, not in the
primary grades. For instance the average
attendance of High School pupils is 200 less
than four years ago. The same is true to a
much greater extent in the grammar grades.
RULES AND REGULATIONS.
One very important matter that has gone
slipsnOd in the department for the last ten
or fifteen years is the rules and regulations.
The Board of Education, of course, has not
been without rules all this time, but they
no,
authority was wanted on particular point
the Secretary's records Lad to be searched
or else his scrap book-lke memory ap-
pealed to. If neither covered what was de-
sired custom was established, and SO on.
One of the first real labOrious Ia SKIS under
taken by Superintendent SWEET when he as
sumed his Office was the compilation of these
rules and regulations, and he has Just COM
pleled it. Probably at the next meeting of
the board they will be submitted for re-
vision, and merry time is expected. A
great many rules exist that the members do
not dream of, and to be governed BY them
Will pinch many tender toe.
Mr.. SWEET states that one of the rules that
he will submit will be that above referred
to, compelling pupils to attend the schools
nearest their homes.
ATTITUDE OF THE BOARD.
The attitude the board takes on this one
rule will be a better index than all else as to
what the character Of the present admins
tration will be.
The matter of reducing the number of
rented rooms will be the next trying test.
When this measure was proposed in the
last board one member fought it W it'll such
vehemence that the whole subject was
dropped and never taken up again.
mo, sir, said the member referred 10.
when discussing the matter outside the
meeting, "the rent of those rooms must con-
tinue. pledged myself TO the owner OF a
few of them that they should, and / propose
TO keep my pledge"