The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-16
TUITION FEES PUT BACK.
NIGHT SCHOOL AND MUSIC AND
DRAWING ABOLISHED.

sion For Increased Attendance in
the Schools.
The night school and the teaching of
music and drawing in the day schools are
to be abolished and the tuition charges
in the high school restored.
The tuition charge in the high school
is placed at SIS, payable in three install
ments of S. each, in October, January and
April, at the beginning of the three d.
visions of the school year.
This was the action of the board of ed
ucation at an adjourned meeting held yes
terday afternoon to finish up the bust
ness left over from the the night before.
The action was foreshadowed in the re-
port of Monday nights meeting in yes
terday's Morning News. AS shown by
the financial statement, the action of the
grand jury in declining to grant the in
creased appropriation asked for to be used
for school purposes during the coming
year made a retrenchment in expenses abb
solutely necessary.
The members of the board present at the
adjourned meeting were the president,
Col. George A. Mercer, and Messrs. Estin,
Blum, Read, Tattnall, Stovall, Denmark,
Saussy and O'Byrne.
The matter of restoring tuition charges
in the high school was taken up at once.
On motion of Capt Blum 1t was decided
that tuition fee of SIS be charged, to be
continued until the grand jury shall APP
propriate sufficient money to enable the
board to again dispense with the charge.
Upon motion of Mr.. O'Byrne, it was de-
cided that the recommendation of the spe-
clal committee, which reported Monday
night, to the effect that the night school
be abolished, and the teaching of music
and drawing in the day schools ceased, be
adopted. The position taken by the MEM
bers of the board in discussing this mat
ter was that the abolition of the night
school and the dropping of music and
drawing constituted a backward step,
which the members regretted to take, but
one that was forced upon them by the
lack of means with which to properly car
ry on their work. On motion of Mr..
O'Byrne the entire recommendations of
the special committee were adopted as the
sense of the board.
The following resolution offered by Mr.,
Denmark was adopted:
Resolved, That the salaries of the
teachers be paid in nine equal payments
on the first of each month for the preced-
ing month. That If the schools be closed
before the end of the nine months, teach
ers shall receive no pay for that part of the
nine months during which they do not
teach. That this board reserves the right
for any reason at any time to shorten the
present school year from nine months to
any less number of months. That teach
1,A 81
public schools must accept their offices
with this understanding.
The majority of the members of the
board do not think it likely that there
will be any necessity for shortening the
school term, as apparently contemplated
in the resolution. Unless the county ap-
preparation is increased the board will be
confronted with a deficiency before the
end of the next school year. but it Is
likely that some arrangement will be
made to carry the schools through to the
end of the year. Nevertheless the board
wishes to be In position to meet any con.
tingency. If it should become necessary
to shorten the school year, the board can
do so without being obligated for the SAL
aries of the teachers for the full school
year.
petition was received from some of the
girls of the graduating class of the high
school, asking that they be allowed to be
graduated upon a general average of 70
per cent, instead of upon a general aver
age of IS per cent, as is now the rule
The matter was discussed and the board
decided that the request be not granted
The superintendent was requested TO re-
port at a future meeting upon the advisa-
bility of fixing a minimum graduating
limit for each of the departments of study
of the high school.
Although the school buildings are all
crowded a DraSepf and the rrobo hi1Ifxy iz
that in the natural order of things there
Will be a still larger number of children
demanding admission to the schools next
year no additional school facilities will be
provided except upon special appropria-
ton made for this purpose.
The report of the special committee
which was adopted by the board, is very
explicit on this point, the words used be-
ing that for the future this board do
not attempt to erect, rent or purchase ad-
ditional school buildings or to enlarge and
improve those now existing except upon
specific appropriation made for such pur-
poses. 1t must not be forgotten that every
new school house in the city adds a
yearly increase in expenses of SC, 900 to
$1,000"
The news OF the restoration of the tut
ton charge to pupils of the high school
will be received with regret by many of
the patrons of the school The effect of
nearly double the attendance upon the
school In three years The tuition fee was
formerly g a month. The fees were abol-
ished by resolution of the board adopted
June II, 1894. The attendance upon the
high school at that time was 22S. The to-
tai enrolment for the present year is 1893.
being 175 more than when the fees were
abolished
Superintendent Ashmore said after the
meeting that he was satisfied that the re-
establishment Of the fees would result In
some decrease In the attendance. This de-
crease he thought would be noticeable
chiefly In the lower grades Those who had
already partially completed their course
IN the high school are very likely to per-
severe even at some sacrifice, he thought.
while many OF those who had Intended
entering the high school next year would
very likely be deferred by the requirement
OF the fee. At the same time the board
has reelected all OF the ten teachers OF
the high school. Should the decrease I'm
attendance be very great the services OF
all OF them may not be needed
NAVAL MILITIA's ARMS.