The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-05
SCHOOL BOARD
FORG[TS BUDGET
-e~e
Oversight May Affect the Legal.
ity of Appropriation for
the Coming Year.

While talking over small matters
last evening the board of school in
spectors forgot that they will need
about 100000 during the coming year
for the maintenance of the schools,
and failed to pass their annual esti-
mate of expenses which must be sub
mitted to the budget conference COM
mittee next Monday.
p Some of the members became excit-
ed when they discovered their over
sight after adjournment, and there
was a general fear that the failure to
pass the budget may interfere serious
ly with securing the increased appro-
priation which the board desires for
the coming year, and perhaps the en-
tire amount.
President o. E. Holman will investi-
gate the matter Immediately this
morning and a special meeting will
probably be called today to take &C
ton on the matter. There was some
doubt as to, whether it would be per-
MISSILE to act upon such matter at
a special meeting, as the estimates
are supposed to be passed upon at the
regular November meeting. Mr.. Hol-
man, however. expressed confidence
that the estimate could either be sub
mitted without action by the board or
after action at a special meeting.
The estimate for next years ex-
penditures calls for an appropriation
of $4,000 about $4,000 increase over
the amount asked for last year. The
increase is necessitated by the large
number of new teachers who have
had to be employed, and the schools
which have been built or enlarged dur
ing the past year in order to accom-
modate the increase in pupils. A num-
Der of new buildings, additions and
repairs on many of the old buildings
will also have to be made during the
coming year.
The school budget has been in
course of preparation for several
weeks, and was in the hands OF the
secretary when the meeting opened
last evening. Amid the discussion
over writing, vacations and janitors'
salaries, the board forgot about the
budget and the oversight was not dis
covered until the janitor of the build
ing had brought the meeting to close
by shutting off the lights.
While struggling about in the dark
ness, looking for coats and hats, some
body thought of the budget. and then
there was an immediate scramble to
turn on the lights for a little While
longer The janitor could not be
bribed or influenced, and the budget,
which consists of some thirty type
written pages, had to be laid over I'M
til some other arrangements for acting
upon it can be made.
=. Wants Uniform Writing Lessons.
The board spent most Of the even
ing in a discussion of writing in the
schools. Supt A. J. Smith reported
that it was now in very chaotic state.
The teachers are PERMITTED to exercise
their own ideas in teaching penman-
ship, and consequently a pupil studies
vertical writing in one room, medal in
another and the old Spencerian or slant
in a third. This, the superintendent de-
clared, worked greatly to the harm OF
the pupils. He stated that he has been
striving to at least have the teachers
of each school adopt a uniform system.
but in some cases met with poor sue
cess, as the teachers felt that they
should be permitted to exercise their
own methods and individuality in
teaching penmanship. Supt. Smith was
not ready, he stated, to recommend
the enforcement of system through
out all the schools of. the city, but
thought it would be a good plan. He
recommended an investigation of the
matter. The pennanship, he declared,
was of a very poor grade in all the
schools of the city.
The discussion arose through a petit
ton of A. w. Clark, penmanship in
structor of the CHM & Co. system, for
permission to hold meetings of the
teachers and instruct them in his sys-
tenn. The copy books of the company
Of !,
st. Paul schools, but he reported that
many of the teachers were not using
them, and that even where they were
they were not following the system laid
down in the books and as adopted by
the board. Clark was given permis-
sion to hold the meetings, outside of
school hours, the teachers to attend
them if they wished.
No Commencement Exercises.
The mid-year graduating class of the
Mechanic Arts high school petitioned
the board to be allowed to hold COM
mencement exercises when they receive
their diplomas in February. The board
declared that the exercises would in
terefere with school work, and denied
the petition. The mid-year students
will be permitted to take part in the
exercises of the June class if they
wish.
If the report Of the committee on
teachers is adopted at the next meet
ing, in the future teachers will only be
allowed half pay for days absent be-
cause of illness, and they will receive
such compensation for not more than
twenty days of a school year.
Supt. Smith reported the increase in
attendenace of the city schools during
the past month to be 1,O42 pupils There
are now 24,535 pupils attending, with
a daily average of 22,124.
The board decided to allow Nov. 26
and 27 as the Thanksgiving vacation
days. The Christmas vacation will ex-
tend from Dec. % to Jan. 4. Some of
the teachers and pupils desired a two
weeks vacation, but it was decided, on
the superintendent recommendation
to limit it to ten days.
The board will hold a special meeting
next Wednesday afternoon.