The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-15
SCHOOLS ID OPEN TOMORROW Children of Birmingham Will
 Return to Study GROWTH OF THE SYSTEM According to Census Greater Brmng- ham Will Have School Population
 of 3o,ooo Next Year-ReaI
 Population 12o,ooo.
GROWTH OF THE SYSTEM
BY WALTER HARPER.

l Something like six or seven thousand | of the hope and joy of the city of Bir- mngham will march into pedagogical sla- very tomorrow.
 l From the swimming pool the parks and ! the highways, where the breath of free 1 dom still calls to the unwilling school l boy, they come trooping from their sum | mer pastimes to the annual mind shoot | ing
 ! They will be missed by the mnnoWs in | the mountain brook and the golden rod that waves it's imperial plume over the meadow; by the mangy, homeless dog seeking companonship in the park and the motherless cats of the neighborhood. These things will pine in comfortess desolation through the long winter while the boy pursues the unwelcome task of allowing his mind to shoot. The girls too will be called from the seashore and their dolls to join the mighty army of hopefuls in the pursuit of knowledge.
 While a large part of this army of school children will hang back and drag themselves to their books with reluctant steps and many wry grimaces, their fathers and mothers will look on with envious wonder, remember their own dis taste for books. but now hungerng for the opportunities of school days and the joys that were nos appreciated. Mother Birmingham provides well for the education of her children, considering the rapidly increasing demands of the community. Like everything else in She Birmingham district, the school officials find it hard sometimes to keep up with the great strides that are being made in every quarter of the community.
 During the past few years large amount of money has been spent in pro- viding more room in the city schools and making necessary improvements, but the question of accommodating the army of children that is expected to present itself at the different institutions during the coming week Is a serious one.
 The new High school building which was just completed last year is one of the largest and best appointed in the south, and yet it is believed that it will be inadequate to the needs of a few years hence It is believed that it will be ample for the accommodation of this years attendance.
 The South Highlands school building is just being completed at a total cost, for building and equipment, of $2S.000. It is expected that this will be filled shortly after completion.
 The High school building at Seventh avenue and Twenty-fourth street cost S160 000. There are nine public school
 
 negro children, including the new South Highlands school.
 The total value of the public school buildings and property of Birmingham | Is $645,0 ,0O0.
 It is expected that the attendance this | year at the public schools of BirminS- | ham will be between 5000 and 1000, and | may even exceed the latter figure since | nonresident pupils have been given some | advantages not heretofore enjoyed All 1 childen in the proposed Greater Birming | ham territory will be admitted by the | payment of a small fee. The enrolment l last term was 55S9. Of this number 1895 | were white and 2G27 were coored. The last school census in Birmingham. taken | in 1905, showed 13,S5S children within the l school age. II Is estimated that :his number will be increased two or three l thousand at the taking of the census | next year.