The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-29
HIGH SCHOOL FEES IN FORCE.
MIR. w. w. STARR THOUGHT THEY
HAD BEEN RENTED.

when the Grand Jury Increased
school Appropriation $1,000, 1t
was for improvements and Not Re-
mittance of the Quarterly Fee of
s5-BOard of Educate Desire to
Relieve Patrons of the Charge as
soon as Practicable.
Mr.. W. w. Starr, who was foreman of
the grand jury in March, and who favored
an additional appropriation for the public
schools, was somewhat surprised on
learning yesterday that the tuition fee was
being collected al the high school, He said
it was his impression that in consideration
of an additional appropriation the Board
of Education could remit the initiation fee
10 this school.
II remember well when the question of
an additional appropriation was brought
before the grand jury" Mr.. Starr said,
"but 1 do not recall any talk with he
board along this line 1t would be i'm
proper therefore for me to say it had
failed to carry out the understanding,
but l got the impression this fee was not
10 be collected, and was only Informed
to the contrary yesterday. Had I not
received this impression at the time, 1
should have brought up the question and
made the remittance of this fee a condi-
ton to my voting for the appropriation"
The money appropriated by the grand
fury, however, has been wisely and ju-
diciously spent by the Board of Educa-
ton. Last year the County Commissioners
appropriated $500 for the schools, which
is considered a minimum amount. The
appropriation was cut to $4,000 this year,
however, and as the board did not feel
this was enough to satisfactorily carry on
the years work, an appeal was made to
the grand jury. In asking for larger
appropriation, the board took facts and
figures before the grand jury, convincing
the members that the addition was an alb
eolute necessity. The only promises made
was that three new school houses would
be built, repairs made at st. Patrick's and
the Barnard Street schools, and additional
facilities provided in the city for the ac-
commodation of white children. These
promises have been faithfully carried out,
as the work will testify for itself.
Supt. Ashmore said the additional appro-
priation was needed and that it had been
ucation. The appropriation of $4,000 last
year proved barely enough to operate the
schools and keep up all repairs, he said,
so that the only thing to do when the
County Commissioners reduced the appro-
priation $1,000 was to ask the grand jury
to make it up. He said the board want
ed at least what 1t had been allowed the
previous year. The plans of the proposed
improvements We're outlined to the grand
jury and these have been carried out to
the letter, full value having been received
by the county in all the work done. Moth
ing was said about RENTING the quarter
ly admission fee to the High School, he
said, the matter not even being dis
cussed.
ecThe Board of Education hopes
to exempt patrons from paying this
fee later, said Supt. Ashmore.
"but it could not do so this
year. The fee was collected right
ted and not again collected until last
year. The payment of it is doubtless a
hardship on some parents. but the board
fully understands this, and intends to take
it off just as soon as the finances will adj
nit"
gentleman, in speaking of the fee,
said he thought it should be remit
ted at the earliest time practicable. The
public schools should be free institutions,
he said. and there should be no hindrance
to the young securing an education, which
is often denied them where there is fee
of any consequence. The very time child
rem should attend school is when they
reach these higher grades, where they ac-
quire that practical knowledge which
proves most valuable to them. The
weathier class is not shut out from any
pecuniary considerations, he continued,
but man with several children two or
more of whom happen to be in the High
School, finds it rather burdensome to pay
the fees, in addition to the cost of books
and other incidentals. He thought the re-
mittance of the fee not only advisable, but
matter of absolute necessity.
The changes which Supt. Ashmore hopes
will come next year, however, may have
the effect of bringing about the desired
result 1t is certainly the desire of the
Board of Education to admit children to
the High School without pay, and the
members will work individually and COL
lectively to bring this about.