The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-06
PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCES,
Strenuous Efforts Toward Re.
trenchment Being Made
by the Board.
The Services of Quite Number of
Teachers Likely to Be Dis.
penSed With.

In line with the avowed purpose of re-
trenchment and of providing a fund from
which the teachers may be paid the 25 per
cent deducted from their salaries last
month the special committee of economy
recently appointed by the Board of Edu-
cation yesterday made a tour of inspection
through the Polytechnic High School and
the Normal schools, in order to ascertain
the manner in which these institutions
were conducted from a financial point OF
view
The committee consists of Superintend-
ent Bsbcock and School Directors Dodge,
Murdoch. Com tie and Clinton.
At the conclusion of their inspection
here Director Clinton expressed great
pleasure at the character of the work and
the evident progress that had been made
in this new feature of the public school
department, and the other directors APP
parentiy shared his Keeling.
AS means OF showing inefficient man.
ner IN which the Polytechnic High School
has been conducted since W. n. Bush was
elected to be its principal in 1889, a state
ment of comparative figures in relation to
the other two high schools OF the City
showed that the Polytechnic increased its
enrolment from 81 in 1889 to 623 this
year, while the Girls High School de-
creased during the same period from 6l5
to 595, and the Lowell increased from 408
to CO.. The junior enrolment in the re-
spective schools this year was as follows
in the order previously named: 344, 254,
239 The Polytechnic employs twenty
teachers, with monthly aggregate salaries
of $2235; the Girls eighteen teachers, with
monthly salaries aggregating $23S5, and
Lowell sixteen teachers, with a monthly
salary list of 1926.
Considerable surprise was manifested by
Director Clinton over the figures showing
that S37 graduates of the grammar schools
cut of total of 1106 this year entered the
High School, or something more than 70
per cent. Director Clinton considered this
a remarkably fine showing, and one which
spoke volumes for the value of and appre-
citation in which the high schools of San
Francisco are held.
Comparative figures were also furnished
showing the costs of the Misunderstanding
plants in various cities. as follows: Bos-
ton, $4,000; Philadelphia, $500, 900; Chi
Francisco. $4,000. The average cost per
pupil in Eastern cities is given as $50 and
of San Francisco as only $45.
During the afternoon the Normal School
was visited, the purpose OF the inspection
here being to ascertain which, If any,
classes could be consolidated, so as to
dispense with the services OF one or more
teachers Similar inspections are also to
be made of all the public schools In the
City, and as a result. quite number of
teachers are likely to be dispensed with.
Speaking of the work of the committee
and its object, Superintendent Babcock
said:
1.-THE committee is determined to do the
right thing. While the interests OF the
teachers will be looked after, the interests
of the taxpayers will not be disregarded.
The report of the committee, when it is
filed, will no doubt come in the nature of
a revelation as to the wasteful methods
adopted by the School Board. Many of
the appointments made at Mr.. Hyde's die
tation were illegal, and it is through this
and other methods that large deficit in
the school fund was bequeathed to the
present board"
Director Clinton was equally outspoken,
saying:
eve have examined several schools
during the past few days, and we find
numerous positions which might well be
abolished. However, / am opposed to de-
claring the positions of any teachers
vacant, if it can possibly be avoided. 1t is
necessary, however, that some very sum-
MARY dCIlOu DC taken Dy Tue DOdru, III
order to keep up the credit of the depart
ment."
The task before the board is one that will
require some heroic action, as it must not
only keep within its appropriation, but its
retrenchment must be shaped so as to give
1T surplus of $4,000 to make good the
deficit of $25 900, which it feels is justly
due the teachers who made the voluntary
sacrifice Of % per cent of their salaries last
month.
1t is expected that the committee will
have made sufficient progress in its inves-
tgation by Wednesday next to make a
report and suitable recon-
to the full board when it next
meets on that day.