The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-06
WILL CUT SCHOOL TERM.
TO Charge Rent for Centennial Building
Sbortens it Three Weeks.

FTtO Charge ltRllU lUT NSIbttNlliiIdl
Shortens it Three Weeks.
Mr.. G.. hosenthal, chairman of the
| CITY School Board, speaking yesterday
| in regard to the resolution passed by
the Board of Aldermen charging $1,000
year rental for the use of the Centen-
NAL Graded school, said:
1.-THE action of the Board of Aldermen
last night in charging $1,000 per annum
for the Centennial school will shorten
the school term from three to four
weeks.
"Thc means at the command of the
committee permit a session of only 81
weeks which by last nights action will
be reduced to 80 or 81 weeks.
at is true that the owners of the
Murphy school property receive 5000
per year as rent A school in that section
of the city was and is an absolute neces-
sity and the committee years ago avail
ed itself of the offer of Messrs. Hawkins
and Andrews to erect a suitable building
and lease it for a term of years.
1.-THE annual amount of money at the
disposal of the committee is so limited
that it cannot provide necessary facilities
to the shape of desks, etc, except on the
installment plan. AS to buildings for
school purposes not n dollar can he
spared. although two pieces of property
have recently been purchased, one the
old Watson place, the house on which
has been repaired as n makeshift for a
colored school
''There should be at least one more
building for white children. We have
the lot but not the money to erect the
house.
81 do not think the city has ever gone
to any expense on account of schools ex-
cept the erection of the Centennial
School and purchase of the lot ON which
it stands The city keeps up the repairs
of the building.
More school facilities are needed bad
", as almost every class room is over
crowded. but the action of the Board
last night is not calculated to provide
them"
Prof. l.. D. Howell superintendent
of the City schools, when asked what
he thought would be the effect of the
Aldermen's action, said:
MIR. Rosenthal says all there is to be
said as to the result of charging the
School committee $1,000 a year for the
Centennial school.
I'VE have a limited sum of money
with which to run the schools We
pay 5000 a year for the Murphy school,
| $500 year and interest to the city on
debt for the Washington school We
| owe for the Watson school, that has
| just been opened for colored children,
| and for the Immsden lot on the corner
| of West and Morgan streets. and have
| obligated to pay about $1,000 a year
/ on the two.
| 1.-THE more we have to pay for rents
| interest and running expenses, the short.
| er it makes our term. If we pay the
| city 81 200 next year for the Centennial
| school, it means that our teachers will
be paid that much less, and the schools
will teach between three and -four
| weeks less.
| '"The schools are now doing more
| work than they ever did. The attend
| ance last month at the white schools
was 211 greater than it was year ago
| and at the colored schools 299 greater.
| Still there is one teacher less than we
| had at the white schools last year. The
! School committee has never been SO
/ economical with the funds, if we may
| judge by the average cost to to the pu
! pill. Indeed our teachers are greatly
overworked. Three teachers have each
over 100 pupils and others come neal
| that figure.
''We have not a room in all the schools
| that is properly furnished. / could take
| you through the schools, and show you
children sitting on the floor, and lean
| ing against the wall ON recitation, be-
| cause there is no seat for them.
II believe if the Aldermen would visit
| the schools, they would be more inclin
| ed to make an appropriation for the
| proper equipment of the schools than to
charge them rent for the use of build