The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-30
DESPITE DRAWBACKS
SCHOOLS OF SAVANNAH MADE coon
RECORDS IN 1sOO-1So1.
THE AFTERNOON SESSIONS.
DID NOT SERIOUSLY INTERFERE
WITH GOOD RESULTS.

Supt. Otis Ashmore Gives a Retro
spect and Prospect of school Con-
ditions-satisAed with What Has
Been Done, He Looks Forward
CheerfuIly and Hopefully to the
Beginning of the Next Session.
Savannah, with the Opening of
the Session, VIII Have the Best
school Facilities in the south.
Some Changes to BE Made--An Err
roneous Impression Corrected.
Superintendent of Public Education Otis
Ashmore has been gratiied by the show
ing that has been made by the schools
under his charge during the past year.
He gave yesterday an interesting inter-
view relative to what had been done and
what it is hoped to accomplish.
The school year that has just closed"
said Supt Ashmore has been one of
many disadvantages arising out of condi-
lions for which no one was responsible.
Eighteen months ago the venerable Chat
ham Academy was partly destroyed by
fire, and in consequence nearly 800 chill
dren were thrown out of school at once.
In the crisis the Board of Education was
forced to adopt the plan OF afternoon
schools. which affected not only the two
grammar schools formerly occupying
Chatham Academy, but also two of the
other schools as well.
THE regular school session of five hours
daily was reduced in four schools to four
hours, thus reducing the time 20 per cent.
Notwithstanding the many disadvantages,
however the results of the work done in
these schools have been quite satisfactory,
when we take into consideration the I'M
usual conditions under which they were
operated, better. in fact, than I had ex-
pected.
"One of the unsatisfactory but I'M
avoidable features of the afternoon schools
was the disarrangement of the dinner
hour in many families. 1 gave much
thought to this point, and i endeavored
to relieve she situation by exchanging pu-
pills, as far as l was able to do. 1t must
be said, to the credit of parents, pupils
and teachers, that they accepted the sit
uation with becoming grace, and bore
with patience the difficulties, knowing that
the Board of Education and the Chat
ham Academy trustees were taking prop
er steps to remedy the trouble.
But these difficulties are now at an
end. The coming year gives a bright pros
pect Internationally. The new Thirty-eighth
Street School stands already completed
and furnished, one of the best modern
school buildings in the South. Chatham
Academy will be ready and equipped in
full time for the opening of the schools
in October, and instead of nineteen school
rooms, most of which were very insult
oh an, ~ 1fsxb a
there are now in the new building TWEEN
ty-four new rooms, of standard size, we'll
lighted and ventilated, with all the mod
ern accessories of a irst-class school
building.
Savannah now perhaps has the best
school facilities in the South, and it shall
be the constant effort of those in charge
to keep them up to high standard of ex-
cellence. Heretofore it has been imposs1-
Bile to admit into the schools all the chill
dren who applied, and the consequence
has been that many have been compelled
to wait and some could not be admitted
at all. Next year. however. we hope 10
have room for all. 1t will be necessary
to redistrict the city in order that prop
er apportionment of children may be
made to the several schools. This will
cause some changes, though not a great
many. This change, however, is absolute
ly necessary. Children soon become ac-
customed to their new teachers and new
surroundings and are quite as happy in
the new surroundings as in the old.
1 want to disabuse the minds of some
of the parents of school children in this
city of one erroneous impression, to which
they have long chung" said Supt Ash
more. Il am the more anxious to do
this, as 1 foresee in the readJustment OF
school districts and the consequent as
sigTlment of pupils to schools other than
they attended in the past good cause to
fear that the effects of the impression
will be made manifest.
This impression is that some one of
the schools is more select in the matter
of the children by whom it is attended
than some other. 1t is not a correct inn
preston. The class of children who at
tend one school is quite as good as that
Of the children who attend any other,
and the distinction that some parents
seek TO make is absurd. Furthermore, ii
is troublesome to the principals of the
schools and to myself and 1 hope it will
not be made manifest in the future"
Supt. Ashmore said that the prospects
for the next year in the school could not
be brighter and that he anticipated a
most successful season for 1901-l902.