The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-20

Bessemer, July 9.-(Speeial)-The bud
get of the board of education, presented
to the council tonight, contains some IN
teresting figures relative to the schools
and is given in full below:
| Gentlemen: We respectfully submit
herein a budget for school maintenance
from September l, 1910, to September l.
1911.
Your attention is directed to the fact
that the enrolment in the Bessemer pub
| lie schools was increased more than "a
per cent during the past year over the
preceding year. and with the same per-
eentage increase during the approaching
session, the board of education, with Its
present facilities, will find 1t impossible
to provide for all who make application
Cor entrance The total enrolment in
all the public schools during the past
session was 2.o1s classified by races as
follows:
White ................"..k.... .l'ooi
Colored OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. ...s.... Soz
Total OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. .z'oio
At recent meeting of the board of
education, in order to meet the crisis that
is confronting u.s. resolution was adopt
ed inviting the attention of the honor
able mayor and board of aldermen to pre-
vaiing school conditions, and requesting
them to submit to the people PROPOSE
ton for bond issue for about $4,000 or
s25, 900. to provide additional accommoda-
tons for grammar school pupils in both
the eastern and western sections of the
CITY. 1t is urgent that this matter re-
ceive your prompt attention, for 1t will
be utterly impossible to provide satisfac-
tory arrangements for accommodating the
school patrons. even of the white schools,
longer than the appropriating session. I'M
less additional appropriations are provid-
ed. The people are becoming more and more
interested every year in providing for the
proper education of their children, and
the citizens of Bessemer will not be con-
tent to have their children provided with
facilities for acquiring an education that
will be regarded as inferior to those al
forded the children of other sections OF
this rapidly growing district. The propo-
sition for bond issue should, as already
stated, receive your immediate attention.
In the meantime it is absolutely essential
that Increased facilities, both rooms and
teachers, be provided at the opening, of
the approaching session for relieving the
extremely overcrowded conditions of the
colored public schools. AS will be OBJ
served from the figures already given,
the total enrolment of the colored
schools during the past year aggregated
ss2. or slightly over 100 per room, had
they been equally distributed, which, of
course. Is impossible under graded
system of classification 1t SO happened
during the past year that one teacher
in the Hard school had charge of 156
pupils, and one teacher in the Ninth
Avenue school had supervision over 1872
pupils. We really are embarrassed to
announce this status. but have felt 1t
our duty to do so, in order to impress
upon you the urgent necessity for imme-
date relief. A special appropriation
should be authorized at your present sit
ting for building four additional rooms at
the Hard school, and for repairing the
present roof of the Hard school building.
The latter is badly in need of new roof
In the budget appended. provision Is