The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-15
LOWER GRADES ONLY
ARE TO BE OPENED AT THIRTY
EIGHTH STREET SCHOOL.
TWO FIRST AND A SECOND
THESE WILL SUFFICE TO RELIEVE
SCHOOL PRESSURE.

This Action Decided Upon by Board
of Education at Its January Meet
ing-suegestiOns of SuDt. AshmOre
Approved and His Recommends
tons Adopted-Exact Date of Open
ing Could Not he Fixed, hut 1t VIII
BE About Feb. 1-F'ive New Teach
ers Were EIected-Laws Relative
to Public Education to BE Exam
lined.
The January meeting of the Board of
Education was held last night at Chat
ham Academy. The most important mat
ter decided was that the new Thirty
eighth street school should be opened on
or about Feb /. Two first grades and
one second grade only are to be opened at
the new school
President Mercer presided and there
were present besides Messrs. Saussy Es-
till, Denmark, Blum, OByrne, duBignon
and Charlton. Supt. Ashmore's month
~ report was an interesting dis
cussion of the conditions prevailing in
the southern section of the city in the
matter of school accommodations 1t sug-
gested what to Mr.. Ashmore SEEM
ed the proper solution of the problem
His suggestions and recommendations
met with the approval of the board and
they were adopted. In his report Super
intendent Ashmore said:
In accordance with your directions
given at the last meeting the schools
were closed ON Dec. 81 and reopened Jan.
2 The work of the schools is progress
ing in a very satisfactory manner and
the attendance is quite full and regular.
Il regret to report the serious illness
of Mr.. Glenn, the principal of the Ander-
son Street School. His physician informs
me. however. that he will probably be
able to resume his duties in a few days.
In the meantime. satisfactory arrange
ments are made to fill his place during
his absence.
Il regret to inform You of the death
of Mrs. Fish. the aged janitress of Chat
ham Academy, which occurred on the Sth
inst Since the destruction of Chatham
Academy by fire her duties were only
nominal. the real work being performed
by Jack, the janitor of the High School,
who still continues his work in a very
satisfactory manner.
In accordance with the instructions
given at your last meeting, l have or
dered the rest of the furniture
needed to equip the Thirty-eighth
Street School After obtaining COM
pettive bids and comforting with
the School House Committee This furni-
ture should arrive in few days, and it
would be well to give the necessary di-
rection for having it set up. This work
| need require only a few days after the
arrival of the furniture. The new school
building on Thirty-eighth street is prac-
tically complete with the exception of
the furniture and the radiators for the
heating apparatus, which are expected
daily. l see no reason why it may not be
occupied by Feb. / by whatever classes
the board sees fit to organize there.
AT your last meeting l was requested
to submit at this time some suggestions
looking to the relief of the difficulties
under which our schools are now operat-
ing, and the following considerations, I
trust. will aid you in deciding upon the
wisest course.
THE two most important matters to be
considered are; first the afternoon ses-
sions of the two Chatham schools; and.
second, the disposition of those children
who are still upon the waiting list
I'm regard to the afternoon schools it is
true that they are operated under Sc
rious disadvantages. the chief of
which is the interference with the
domestic arrangements about the
dinner hour. The shorter session, too,
requires that the daily working pro-
gramme be correspondingly condensed
but this is not a very serious trouble.
II have weighed every suggestion for
meeting the difficulties presented in the
problem of the afternoon schools with the
hope of finding a remedy for Them but all
the plans so far considered seem to me to
Involve greater trouble than that which
we now have, and to be impracticable. 1
half L.
continue the afternoon schools as at pres
ent operated, and to seek to afford school
facilities to those pupils who are now on
the waiting list. and who have not been
able to get into school at all, on account
of the want of room
For the proper consideration of this
problem, the following tabular statement
is presented which shows the number
of pupils in each grade now on the wait
ing list in each one of the white schools: