The herald., 1895-02-12
The Board of Education Decides
in Favor of La Fiesta
MUST DRILL AFTER HOURS
The Superintendent Says Professor Gates
Deserves Credit
uphoIds the High School Principals Action
and Says All Future Offenders
Will Be Punished

The school children will march in La
Fiesta parade. This was decided once
and for all at last nights meeting of the
Board of Education.
The board met last night, with Presi
dent Hale in the chair, and all the mem
bers present except Mr.. Pitman. The
attendance in the gallery was rather
smaller than usual, and composed mainly
of the teachers in the various schools.
The minutes were read and approved,
and then petition from Mrs. G.. Steck-
well and sixty-fve others was read, pro-
testing against the school children partici-
pating in the coming Fiesta on the fol-
lowing grounds That there are already
enough holidays; that the preparation of
the children interferes with school work;
that the marching distance is too much
or the physical endurance of the chill
dren. The protest concluded with a
declara ton that the protestants wanted
the Fiesta to be success, but did not
want school money appropriated for any
other purpose. Two other petitions were
presented, embodying the above protest,
one signed by three hundred parents of
pupils, and the other by. sixty parents.
Mr. Wills then presented the report of
the special committee appointed by the
bosrd to decide upon the Fiesta matter
SO far as it concerned the schools, which
read as follows:
1--WE, the committee to whom was re-
ferred the request of the Fiesta manager,
to have the school children take part in
the parade during Fiesta week, beg leave
to report as follows: We recommend that
the request be granted, with the under
standing that all the drilling be done by
members of the schools selected by the
children and teachers or by some one pro
IL l.. A..
be endorsed by the teachers of physical
culture, Mr.. G. J. Rohde; that the drill
ing be done after school hours and on
Saturdays; and that the teachers may
take part in the drilling and parade or
not as they may elect, but recommend
rectly or indirectly, to do SO; that no
time for drilling or preparation be taken
from the school hours, or that it be al
lowed in any way to interfere with the
schools, except that the week Immediately
preceding Fiesta week they may take not
preparation; and further recommend that
the schools be closed during the entire
Fiesta week
Director Simonton moved that as
number of ladies were present who OPP
posed the taking part of the children in
the parade, they be called upon to state
their views before the board, and called
on Mrs. DIR. Berry. The lady responded
by saying that all her arguments were
presented in the petition read. Consider
able discussion followed, and finally upon
motion of Director Simonton the clause
in the committees report regarding the
closing of the schools was changed to read
that the schools shall close ON Thursday
night preceding the Fiesta, instead of
one week before the festival. The amend
ment was accepted by the committee and
the report was then adopted, with the
proviso that it is distinctly understood
that no pupil or teacher need take part in
the Fiesta parade unless they so desire.
Several petitions of minor importance
were read, and that of Philo b. Games to
The ssuneri ntendent followed as fnllow ,e
Statistical report of the Los Angeles
city schools for the month ending Feb
ruary 8, 1895: