El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-04
SCHOOLS CROWDED.
CONTINUED from Ist psge)

SCHOOLS CROWDED.
CONTINUED from Ist psge)
The matter Of the school age was
taken up. Mr.. Putnam thought it
might be Q good plan to allow q little
leeway, so that Q child that was nearly
seven might enter with its grade.
The board decided that no concessions
should be made, since there would then
be no end to the exceptions asked, and
confusion would result.
Repairs to some Of the school build
ings were authorized, the superinten-
dent was given permission to put a
telephone In his Office, aud several
small bills were allow ed.
While the schools this year are un-
doubtedly very much crowded, the
trouble seems to be not so much in the
number of pupils enrolled, as in the
unequal distribution. Three of the
buildings are badly crowded, while In
another section of the city the schools
could ACCOM- modste many more thu n q Q
at present enrolled there. This state
OF affairs is not due to bad manage
ment. but to the fact that more child
dren OF certain school districts have
been entered than was anticipated.
The greatest congestion is ~ the
Central, Mesa, and Aoy buildings. AT
the central school there were enrolled
yesterday 313 pupils, In all grades.
Today this number has been increased
by the attendance of pupils
Who did not enter yesterday.
In this schools there are near.
ly forty more pupils that the school
can accommodate, who will ceriously
handicap the efforts of the teachers If
they remain. Twelve more than the
number which can be accomm odated
have been entered in the first grade
In that building, and as many more in
| the third and sixth grades.
The Mesa school, with the exception
OF the Mexican school, is the worst
crowded institution in the city, iudioat-
ing the drift of population. The number
Of pupils there far exceeds the number
which can be accommodated. In the
third grade of that school, which can
comfortably accommodate thirty-seven
pupils, seventy eight have been enrol
led. The desks In this grade are very
small. but since yesterday two pupils
have been obliged to share seats and
decks. In the fifth grade in the Mesa
building the conditions are practically
the same as In the third grade, and the
sixth and other grades are almost as
badly overcrowded with pupils.
At the Aoy building the conditions
are even worse than those at the Mesa.
This is she only Mexican school in the
city and it Is packed with an unprece-
dented numb of Mexican students
The Franklin Is not so badly crow6-
ed. The Douglass COLI red school tas
date.
The solution seems to lie In the
Alamo school In the seconi ward.
This building it is believed can accom-
modate all the pupils whom the other
schools In their crowded condition
are unable TO handle.
Superintendent Putnam stated this
afternoon that pupils from the crowded
buildings would be transferred to the
Alamo school, In the second ward. The
opposition to this will probably come
from the parents OF the pupils who will
object to their children being trsnsfer-
red to school at any considerable die.
lance from their homes. Already
some objection on the part OF parents
has been raised.
The transfers will be made however,
and the objection of she parents can be
rsised sfterward. Il is believed that
this is the only way out Of tie difficulty
at present.
Some change In the grading of the
various schools may be made on &C.
count Of the unexpected overorowding.
The school board anticipated an in
crease this year of about two hundred
and fifty, but the increase will reach
to q much higher figure than that.
Republican Argument.
J. c. Ross has returned from q ten
day trip through southern Texas aud
up the Mississippi valley to Chicago,
visiting San Antonio, Houston, New
Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis and Chi
cago. AT Chicago he saw the great