Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-16
'CITY'S SCHOOLS
ABLY CONDUCTED
MOORE DRAWS COMPARISONS
WITH OTHER CITIES
RECOMMENDS THAT TERM BE
EXTENDED ONE WEEK
Urges Board of Education to Consider
ACCESSIBILITY of Holding Bond
Election to Secure ADJ
ditionaI Funds

At the meeting Of the Los Angeles
board of education held at the Security
Savings bank building yesterday after
noon. the feature was the report of
Superintendent Dr. E. C. Moore. The
following extract shows the expense OF
Los Angeles schools as compared with
those of other cities:
"For your information I beg to sub
NIT the following comparative state
ment of the school expenses per capita
in Los Angeles city school district ana
in thirteen cities of the United States.
I would call your particular attention
to the fact that the figures here given
were for the year 1904, while the fg-
ures for Los Angeles are for the years
1907-S, Since 1904 prices have risen IN
every department, wages have risen,
supplies have risen and the cost OF
building has risen.
Los Angeles is at a disadvantage
in the comparison, therefore, and
much better showing would be made
with figures of 1908 alone Los Angeles
is a new city, and the figures are taken
from old cities, whose buildings are
already built and whose growth is
much less rapid. But the figures as
they are show that the average cost
per capita for school purposes in the
thirteen cities named in 1904 was S5.97,
while in 1907-S, in Los Angeles it was
only 1882. Further. they show that the
current expenses of this department are
much lower than those of any other
city of its size, being but IS cents per
capita here, or 10 per cent of the total
expense for school purposes. while in
other cities they averaged S1.22, or u
per cent of the total expenses. The
figures show. as they should. that the
heaviest item is the pay of teachers
in the school department"
Further on in the report the superin-
tendent says:
"Inasmuch as the latest advices from
the secretary's office indicate that there
will be money in the school fund for
the purpose, owing to the careful man
agement of the board in keeping down
expenses, and to the fact that the
county superintendent has now an
nounced a larger appropriation from
the county fund than we were instruct
ed to count upon as available up to
this time, 1 beg to recommend that Fri
day, June &C. and not June 10 as pre-
viously suggested, be fixed as the date
for the closing of school for the present
year. That the offer OF the teachers
to teach without pay be declined with
thanks of the board.
ST recommend that your honorable
body consider at this time the advisa-
bility of ealing bond election, if pos
sible before the end of the present
school year, in order to give the people
of Los Angeles an opportunity to eX-
press themselves upon the question
whether high school accommodations
shall be provided for every boy and
girl who asks for high school educa-
ton. AS you know, some 200 boys and
girls were turned away from the Poly
technic high school last February sim
ply because there was not room for
them. AS you also know, the Los An
geles high school is so full that if its
sessions are changed to begin at s
a. m. and close at 4:45 p. m. it will be
able to admit but $50 or 200 more stu
dents, while you further know that an
eighth grade class of from 500 to 1000
new students will demand admission to
the high schools next fall.
'What is needed in my judgment, is:
First, 100000 for a new building and
equipment at the Polytechnic high
school;
"second, $4,000 for equipment and
necessary additions at the Los Angeles
high school;
"Third, $4,000 for a site and $2500OO
for a new high school building and
equipment, to be located in the south
part of the city.
Fourth, $4,000 to finish the Gardena
high school and to buy additional land
there, that it may be made secondary
school for instruction in agriculture.
DR. Moore explained as to his sug-
gestion concerning the instruction in
agriculture at Gardena that he relied
upon the fund to be given by the gov
eminent for maintenance of schools on
agricultural lines throughout the coun-
try, $4,000 annually, which would be
available if the Davis bill now under
consideration at Washington were car
ried He said this would relieve the
community of any running expenses of
this school.
The matter of the school bonds and
the Gardena secondary school will be
considered at a meeting Of the COM
mittee of the whole, which will be held
at noon today. ]. NJ. Quinn chairman,
at the Security building.