San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-04-14
OUR SCHOOLS.
Friday Will Be a Holiday Special
Meeting of the Board.


A special meeting of the school board
OF our public schools was held yesterday
afternoon at the school superintendent
once, and some very important business
relative to our schools was discussed.
Prot. Smith acted as chairman and first
asked whether tomorrow, Good Friday.
should be given the schools as a holi-
day. This item was quickly dispensed
with by allowing the children a holiday,
After this was done Professor Smith de,
tanned the board some time longer by
bringing up the necessity of charging
our public school buildings, stating that
accommodation for about 1000 is greatly
needed.
He said up to date, the 3lst of March,
5,60i children have made applications for
admittance and of these only 1897 could
be accommodated and these only by put
ting in several hundred duplicate seats.
The following is "a list which will show
how the schools are crowded:
FOR WHITES.
High school-Seating capacity 10, ap-
plicants 9i3: leaving 233 overplus.
School 2, on Marshall street.-the seats,
765 applicants; lS9 overplus.
School 3, corner avenue r and 4th
street-567 applicants, 407 seats; l60 over
plus.
School 4, on Mason street, Government
hill-4l5 applicants, 240 seats; 175 over
plus.
School 5-34i applicants, 23s seats; 1O6
overpluS.
School 6. Miss Cotton's, on Lavaca
street-5O9 applicants, 2sS seats; 226 over
plus.
School South Flores street, 54l APP
plicants, 366 seating capacity; l95 over
plus.
School $50 applicants, 23s seating
caDacity: 3S3 oyerplus
This shows how crowded our schools
are. So much so that yearly over a
thousand children are refused admission
because there is not enough room
10 accommodate them. As it is
every school is filled far above.
its capacity and this is done only by
crowding the students and putting in an
immense number of duplicate seats.
There are from fifty to one duplicate
seats in each school.
The scholastic census of this city, gives
over 1000 names within the scholastic
age. Not more than One-half of these
attend school and there is scarcely room
for one third of them.
1t is not only the whites schools that
are full: but also the, colored. The fol-
lowing Is a list OF those schools, which
will show the need of additions to them
also:
Riverside schosl-326 applicants; 226
seating capacity; 100 overpluS.
Santa Clara school-37l applicants; pa
seating capacity; 1877 overplnS.
San Pedro school-204 applicants: 100
seats; 81 Overplus.
This shows thatevery school in the city.
white and cOlOred. needs an addition of
from two to four rooms.
Three years ago the highest grade in
any city public school except the high
school, was the 5th and then they were
considered crowded. Now the sixth grade
is taught In every one, thus instead of
sending the fifth grade to the high school,
and always leaving openings for more
pupils, they are kept in the same place
and when other children come in, dupli-
cate seats must be furnished to accommo
date them.
After Professor Smith had shown the
necessity Of having more school room, the
board thought 1t over while and Mr..
Gregory arose and asked how much the
school fund amounted TO. Mr.. Smith
answered that there were at least $4,000,
and that several thousand would be left
over after this session, which closes June
18th.
1t was then decided by the board to
have the thing brought before the city
council at next Mondays session. Pro-
feSSor Smith was told to make out an
itemized list of the size and about the cost
of each addition needed and send the data
in to the city council.
During the meeting Mr.. Smith men
toned that some gentleman from East End
addition had spoken to him in regard to
building a small school at that suburb for
snail children too young to come to the
city for school. If any such buildings are
erected the inhabitants of these suburbs
will have to stand part of the expense of
building and maintaining them.
The meeting adjourned at Sis p. m.