The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-15

the Decentralization and Web
ster Districts Are damned to the
Limits-RuIes as to Districtfng
to Be Strictly Enforced This Year.
| 1t is generally agreed among school
! officials that unless the board Of school
| inspectors Is able to realize from the one
and one-half mill additional tax levy the
schools of the city will close in April
| Already the board has to meet the crowd
ed conditions of last year and only three
| school days have passed. The board re-
Gently went on record as being deter
| mined to conduct the schools on their
present basis as long as the money holds
out and this Is accepted to mean
closing about April unless more funds
are placed at the disposal of the board
Forty additional scholars were enrolled
at the Central high school yesterday and
| reports from nearly all the districts
showed a proportionate increase. Supt
Smith yesterday said:
"The Madison school in particular is
! greatly cvercrowded and has been for
some years. 1t is an old school, but not
withstanding it is very popular and here
! tofore from four to five hundred pupils
have been admitted who live in other
| districts This year the board Is en-
forcing the rule requiring the children
| to attend school in the district in which
they reside. For some reason or other
this has not been enforced at the Madi-
son of late years, and I think matters
will be improved there by combining the
| attendance to those who reside in the
| district Halliday sessions are being held
| at both ends of the school, the first and
| the eighth grades. There has been some
| little complaint about the rule but it will
| be enforced and every one who has at
tended the Madison in the past, residing
| in another part of the city, must leave
the school and go where they belong.
'It is strange too that the Madison
should be so popular as 1t is the school:
where epidemics have been most notice;
| able in the past and some Of the rooms
are quite dark Gen. Smith was very
popular principal and J. believe that had
a great deal to do with the unusualTFft-
tendance there, as he never refused to
admit any enc. The actual attendance OF
the Madison this year will not be far
from 1;G5O, while the enrolment will eX-
coed the figures of last year consider
| ably.
| mo child will be refused admission to
the schools. If necessary we will lnst1-
| tute halliday sessions at all the schools,
| and also establish a few anneXes, that
no one need be refused school privileges.
At the Central high school we do not get
| results until the second week Of school
as the seniors and juniors are somewhat
slow in getting around and it Is certain
that the building will be greatly over
| crowded. The teachers are all making
the best of the situation and we will,
think, within week or two see our way.
little clearer than we do now. You can
say that we will do everything possible
to keep the children in school for nan
CAV at least, and only in extreme cases
| will any additional halt-day SESSIONS -"'oe
resorted to.
'"rhere has been a falling off in the at
tendance at the suburban schools where
there are plenty Of sittings, and the IN
crease comes to the central districts,
where in nearly every instance the
schools were unduly crowded last year.
..sThere were 900 applicants for admis'
| sion to the Webster school the first DAY,
| and the figures at the close Of the Hrst
week of school last year only showed an
enrolment of $50. The total attendance
! this wear will be far in excess OF TINS.
| Tho Webster is one Of the exceedingly
popular buildings, perhaps because or us
| location. -, 4
cat the Van Buren, it is possible that
we may have to open an annex OF sWo
to accommodate the increase. There> mas
been a heavy enrolment during the lase
| three days and more are in slSht. IL VIII
have very nearly as many children as
the Madison unless indications fail
"Mr. Corning, of the real estate com
1nittee, is making the money set aside
for repairs so just as far as 1t will
i accomplishing the most good. The con
clifton Of repair of the schools Is one that
| should arouse our citizens to acton, ana
viewed strictly from a business slanu-
noin+ # viii be much cheaper to make
improvements than it will a year hence.