The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-14
1sQe-1l,l Isqs-1seq


City, total 81 G.2s7' SOS 80 Increase
! Country. white 657 673 16 decrease
Country, col l.e98 1850, % increase
Country total. $50 2&8l Sdecrease
Grand total s.ss7 8.8es s2s Increase
In the city there have been maintained
during the year nine white schools with
a total Of eighty-one teachers. and four
/ colored schools with total Of thirty-four
/ teachers. In the country there were
/ twelve schools for whites with sixteen
teachers. and twenty-seven for colored,
/ with twenty-seven teachers. The per cent.
1 of daily ATTENDANCE during the past year.
1 both in the city and country, shows de-
cded Improvement over that of the year
| preceding.
| These statements, based IS they are
! upon real facts, show not only the rapid
| growth Of our city. but also the increasing
confidence of the people in public schools
under the wise administration of the
Board of Education.
1T has been a matter of great regret
| hat sufficient accommodation could not
| be found for all the children. who applied
/ for admission during the year. Notwth-
/ standing the fact that the most econonl-
/ zeal distribution of teachers and pupils
was made nd that the classes were fill
( "a 10 their utmost capacity, there were
/ ABOUT one hQD1reQ white cnll1ren IN the
I city, VINO applied for admission. but could
| not be accommodated during the year; and
| several hundred colored children VINO
| were in the same condition. a regular
waiting list was kept and all applicants
| were admitted strictly in the order OF
| their applications.
! The two grammar schools. located in
! Chatham Academy, were considerably en-
! barrassed for six months of the year, by
/ al If tbat Ia
/ building by fire in the early morning of
| Dec. l6 1899. BY this loss ii became nee
/ essary at once to transfer these two
| schools elsewhere, and after mature con-
| sideration It was decided that they should
/ use the Cathedral and the Maesie School
1 buildings in afternoon sessions, from lis
| to $50 O'Clock, till the Chatham Academy
| could be restored. This doubtless was the
| best arrangement that could have been
made al the time, il enabled the schools
| to continue their work without Interrupt
! ton in buildings already equipped with
I suitable furniture, and not far removed
! from the homes Of the children.
while the work of the schools under
/ the operation OF this plan, was not seri-
| ously affected, considerable embarrass-
/ ment was created in the domestic ar
rangements of the parents who patron
| lied these schools, and strong desire is
| expressed on all hands to return TO the
| morning sessions as soon as possible. 1t
/ is gratifying. however. to state that this
| temporary embarrassment will soon be
| relieved by the restoration of Chatham
/ Academy upon new and modern lines. and
| that those children who are at some dis
! advantage now will soon enjoy superior
i advantages in a new building, with all
| tine modern equipments for comfort and
! convenience. Tire new building as now
planned will contain twenty-four class
rocms OF ample proportions. while the old
| building contained nineteen class-rooms,
! several of which were exceedingly objec-
| tionablc, on account of their size, light
.ng ana ventilation. The additional room
| thus afforded will meet demand which
| is now urgent in that district.
In the southern section of the city,
! where the school population is rapidly in
| creasing and where the demand for
| school accommodation is greater than the
| present supply, the new Eighth Street
| School now in course of construction will
relieve the pressure now sustained by the
| Henry and the Anderson Street Schools.
| AS this building, however, will not be
| ready for occupancy before Jan. J. 1901,
| il is certain that number of children in
tins section of the city cannot be accom-
nodated till that time.
Il desire to call the attention of the
board again 10 the unsatisfactory condi-
tfons now existing in the rooms on the
third floor of the Henry Street School
The thin board partitions by which the
rooms are separated extend only about
half way to the ceiling and the noise, un-
avoidab bic in ordinary school operations,
interferes seriously with the work. and is
a source Of great annoyance both to
teachers and pupils. This evil could be
remedied by dividing che hall into two
large school rooms by partitions extend
ing to the ceiling and rendered sound
proof. Inasmuch as this change would
diminish the number of rooms in that
building by one, it would probably he
best 10 defer this change until the extra
class could be transferred to the new
Eighth Street School when 1t is ready for
occupancy The necessary work could be
done during the Christmas holidays at
small expense and without embarrass-
ment to the school. The matter is a Sc
rious one, and II should not be over
looked"
The superintendent called attention to
the health condition of the schools, show
ing that 1t has always been excellent
During the time the schools have been
under his direction not single case of
contagious disease has made its appear
ance among the children, so excellent
have been the precautions and care.
Though there have been cases of con-
tagious illness, not one of them originated
III the SCHOOLS.
During the year there have been main.
tanned in the country. as before stated.
twelve schools for whites with sixteen
teachers and an enrolment OF 657 pupils.
and twenty-seven schools for colored chill
dren. with twenty-seven teachers and an
enrolment of 1853 pupils. Three new
school buildings were erected in the sum
mer of 1899. one al Bethel. one az Isle of
Hope and one on the White Bluff road.
seven miles from the city. The buildings
are uniform in plan and structure with
those previously erected by the board in
the country districts, and they combine
all tho essential requirements of a mod
crn school building. BY these new build
ings the educational conditions in these
districts have been very much improved
and the people, the pupils and the teach
ers have been much encouraged"
The excellent work OF the teachers dur
ing the year was commended to the board
The report covered various phases Of
their work, aud mentioned their attend
ance upon the normal school and the con-
| duct OF their library.
"As this report closes with the century
N%N~N~NN~1
5 Brains rule :