The times., 1899-02-22
4 Meeting OF THE
SCHOOL TRUSTEES
The Easter Vacation Increas-
ed to One Week.
70 Be Given Graduates
From Normal Institutions.
A Code of Signals Suggested to Keep
Children Home in Hnd
Weather.

At the meeting of the Board of School
Trustees. held in Franklin School bui d.
ing yesterday, considerable business was
transacted. The meeting was well at
tended, there being on.y two members ab-
sent.
a communication from the Columbia
Heights Citizens Association was re-
facilities of that section OF the city, the
lack of Fairgrounds for the school chill
dren, and the congested condition OF the
schools. 1t asked that three additional
school sites be selected on the Heights aad
in Holmead Manor, two of which are de-
sired for graded schools and the other
for a high school The communication
was referred to the Committee on Build
inEs and Grounds.
Mr.. Barnard, ON behalf of the committee
on rules. reported favOrab'y on the resolu-
ton introduced at the previous meeting OF
the board. which has as its object The
amendment of the rules, that the
Easter vacation shall be of a weeks
duration instead OF Two days, ns for
merry. Objection was made to the
change at this time. on account of the
great amount of work lost n result OF
the recent storm which made II necessary
to close three of the high schools ana a
number of the graded schools. The reso-
luton was finally adopted after some dis
cussion. After its passage Mr.. Wilson Of
fered resolution providing for the SIS
pension of the rule for this year, so that
the work lost during the past week could
be made up. Mr.. Barnard objected to this
on the ground that the teachers and pupils
are depending on the vacation for recrea-
tion and need the rest. Mrs. Terrell stated
that after having taken the rest the pu-
pills could make up the lost work As a
majority of the board seemed to be in
favor of observing the new rule this year
Mr.. Wilson withdrew his resolution.
Mr.. Barnard reported from the commit
tee on rules a resolution providing for the
filling of vacancies in the departments of
special work by competitive examinations,
giving to the Normal School graduates the
preference when practicable, after all
proper promotions had been made Two
amendments TO this resolution were sug-
gested, one giving preference TO graduates
OF normal schools outside of the District
In addition to those of the Washington
normal schools, and the other giving the
appointments TO graduates of normal
schools without taking examinations
Both amendments were lost and the reso-
luton was adopted as originally drafted
The departments affected by this rule are
those of music, cooking sewing manual
training. and physical culture.
Mr.. Wilson called attention to the fact
that the bill providing for the removal of
the tracks OF the City and Suburban Rail-
way from their present location around the
south side OF Stanton Square had not yet
been passed by Congress. He recalled the
danger of the present location of the ROAD
to the school children attending the Pea
body School, and offered the following res
olution:
Resolved, That the honorable Commissioners
of the District be and are hereby respectfully
asked to urge before the House Of Representa-
tyes >psely action upon Senate bill 1sJ, relating
to the changing OF the tracks of the City and
Suburban Railway passing around Stanton
Square.
The resolution was adopted without de-
bate.
Mr. Brown introduced a resolution pro-
viding for an increase in the facilities of
the normal schools of the colored divisions.
The resolution read as follows:
Resolved, That special classes in music, cook
ing and sewing be provided for pupils of the
normal schools of the Ninth, Tenth and Eley-
enth divisions who may desire to fit themselves
for teaching said branches.
Action on the resolution was deferred for
one month, in accordance with the usual
procedure in such cases.
Mrs. Terrell stated that during the re-
cent blizzard many Of the children of the
colored schools had suffered hardships in
endeavoring to reach their schools which
had left them permanently affected in
health. IN many instances they left their
homes for school only to find them closed
upon arriving there. Being already chilled,
they We're forced to go all the way back
to their homes before finding shelter. She
suggested that a code of signals be arrang-
ed by which it could be made known to
the pupils and teachers that their school
had been closed on account of the storm
or stress of weather She suggested that
code flag or bell signals be provided for and
incorporated her ideas in resolution
which was presented. As the carrying out
of the resolution provided for the expendi-
ture of money, the matter was referred to
the committee on ways and means.
The resignation from the Normal School
of Miss Annie b. Moore, Il pupil of that
institution, was accepted. Miss Nourse and
Miss Brewer, of the Fifth Division, were
granted leaves OF absence on account of
sickness. The following changes were Or
dered:
Fifth Divfsion-Miss Alice Berry, ap-
pointed temporary teacher at $i25 per an
mum, vice Miss S. A. Moore.
Eighth Division-Miss Mabel Bland. pro-
NOTED from $500 to S425 per annum vice
Miss E. X. Woodward.