The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-08
AN INCREASE OF 5000
NATURAL GROWTH OF SCHOOL At
TENDANCE DURING LAST YEAR.
In Some Districts Pupils Have to Go
a Long Distance to Reach
Their Grades.

At o'clock yesterday morning, week
earlier than usual, the schools of Indian
apolis opened to receive the a. 900 pupils,
more or less, for a period of ten months.
Though the sessions begin a week earlier
than usual yet for the first two weeks
there will be but halliday sessions. This
gives both teacher and pupil an opportun-
ity to accustom themselves to the confine-
nnent which, during such warm weather as
now prevails, and following after vaca-
ton season. is somewhat irksome. After
the first two weeks it is presumed that
pupils will have been graded correctly,
books and the necessary equipment for the
term will have been secured and every
thing will be in readiness for the beginning
of the hard work which is to follow
There is very little to distinguish the
opening of the public schools this year from
the same thing which has occurred in the
city for years in the past. There were the
same bright smiles upon the faces of the
children, to whom anything in the nature
of a change is pleasant as long as 1t is
new. Most of them are glad that school
has begun again, for it brings them new
and pleasant associations. After a few
weeks the daily grind of the schoolroom
will become distasteful and they will sigh
for the vacation again. There were present
yesterday the new pupils, accompanied by
parents, guardians or older sisters. 1t was
a new thing to many of them and not q
few were frightened. Some Of the young
sters had had the advantage of a kinder
garten training and to them the school had
no terrors. There were a number of new
teachers this year and according to the
custom, they were taken from the training
school Of the city and from the graduates
of the Indianapolis high and manual train
ing schools.
1t is impossible to get any figures on the
attendance. Superintendent GosS has re-
ceived reports from all the teachers and
from the few he has glanced over he is OF
the opinion that decided increase. over
last year will be shown. Including the in
crease from taking in the schools OF the
suburbs recently annexed, he believes the
increase will be in the neighborhood OF
three thousand. Last year the schools al
over the city We're crowded and several
temporary buildings were used for school,
purposes. The northwestern part of the city
wa crowded on account of the annexation
of North Indianapolis, without schoo
facilities. The new building in this suburb
trict so that this section of the city is not
overcrowded. The northeastern part OF the
city has a new building on Park avenue
and old Fifteenth street, which will relieve
the strain in that direction. 1t is believed
that the first term will start off with al
pupils accommodated fairly well.
There is sun lacking satisfactory ar
rangement in all the buildings. In buildings
Nos 2 10 and % there are no eighth grades
in these buildings there are many lower
grade pupils and the higher pupils art
forced to walk from No to No 3, from
No. 10 to Nos. l and 81 and from No. q
they must go to No. 40. The compulsory
school law is expected to send from fifteeI
hundred to two thousand children to the
public schools this year who would other
wise be running the streets or working II
factories and stores. This will give The
schools about 20 per cent. more pupils thar
they have ever had before, There are nC
changes this year in textbooks.