Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-19
En- ROLLING THE PUPILS
INCREASE OF FOUR PER CENT IN
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Effect Of the Law for Compulsory
Education-Partial Report on
High School Attendance.

/ While the enrolment figures from various
schools, even up to the present date, are
not yet complete, and several weeks still
remain in which experience has taught
there will be many more applications for
admission, Supt. Chancellor is nevertheless
able to say with considerable certainty
that an increase of at least per cent will
be noted this year over the enrolment OF
last year in the public schools of the Dis
trict. 1t is probable that it will be greater.
but time only will determine.
The superintendent told Star reporter
that he was accustomed In Paterson n. j..
where he served as superintendent OF
schools previous to coming here, to get each
year an increase of about 8 per cent In the
enrolment of pupils. He hardly expects
this figure will be reached here, but con-
cedes that it is possible.
Many pupils and prospective pupils are
still out Of the city, kept away by the not
weather. This is especially true OF the
pupils of the first division. which embraces
the downtown and lower northwestern part
of the city. These stragglers are expected
to be all in by the middle of October at the
latest.
Effect of Law Enforcement.
DIR. Chancellor is looking for consider
able increase in the attendance Of pupils
during this term as result Of the enforce
ment of the compulsory education law. he
had talk this morning with Zed H. Copp.
probation officer of the District. on the
question of getting children into school
from the streets The task is held to be
hard one, particularly as there are only
two truant OfficerS-WOmen-to rouhu up
the little ones.
The number of children Of the school age
in the District who do not attend schoo! has
been varously estimated from seven nun.
dred to seven thousand. How many OF
these will be brought into the fold by the
two women appointed for that purpose Is
merely conjectural, of course.
Assistant Superintendent Hughes has pre-
pared partial report on the high school at
tendance. including September 1S-yester-
day. This shows S24 pupils in the Central,
396 in the Eastern, including 1O4 In the busi-
ness course. just established there: 377 In
the Western: $50 In the Business. exclusive
OF the 1O4 that have gone to the Eastern;
$50 in the M Street and 3iS in the Arm
strong Manual Training School, On the
same date last year the figures were as fol-
lows: Central, 814; Eastern, 271; Western,
1913: Business, 645, including all pupils TAX
ing a business course: M Street. 400. The
returns this year from the Mckinley Man
ual Training School are slow in coming in,
but the attendance is estimated at about
1914, including those In both the second
year and four-year courses.
Will Take No Vacation.
DR.. Chancellor had expected to take
brief rest after school opened. During
the last hot spell, while he was becoming
acclimated to Washington, he was consid
erably indisposed. The recent cool days.
however; were beneficial to him, and to-
day he feels SO much better that he has
decided to remain in the city.
The question of the consolidation of
schools, which will be taken up this week
by the superintendent and the two other
members of the commission named by Con-
gress, as reported in The Star yesterday,
is regarded as of great Importance. and the
recommenda lions of the commission Will
be watched for eagerly. DR.. Chancellor said
to representative of The Star that econ
omy in the heating of the buildings would
be considered. Where several buildings are
close together it may seem best to the
commission to recommend that one heat
ing plant be made to suffice for all of them.