Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-26
BOARD MAY RAISE
SCHOOL BOND BID
City Likely to Be Asked to In
crease Proposed Issue
of $1,250,000
FRANCIS EXPECTS CR0WDING
Superintendent Says Congestion
Can't Be Avoided but Interme-
date Buildings viii Help
EXPECTS cRoWDING

Plans to anticipate an expected con-
gestion in the public schools will be
discussed at meeting of the board of
education to be held Monday evening.
According to Superintendent j. IL.
Francis more money is needed for more
school buildings and it is altogether
probable that the city council VIII be
asked to submit to the voters q bond
issue for school purposes of not less
than $1,250,000. The amount asked may
be more than that.
Mr.. Francis says that the need is
imminent; that, in fact, If the money
were available today it would not be
possible to erect school buildings rapid
ly enough to prevent congestion. The
district most in need of primary
schools he says, is the southwest.
Then, in order, come the southeast and
the northwest. Residents of the east
side are clamoring for a high school.
At present all high school pupils re-
siding in that part of the city are COM
PEELED to cross the river for their in
struction.
Mr.. Francis has a new plan, how
ever, which he believes will go far
toward doing away with congestion in
both grade and high schools and which
will also prove advantageous in other
ways This is the erection throughout
the city of what are known as inter-
mediate schools, schools which will
take pupils as they enter the seventh
grade and carry them along fer three
years, leaving only a three years
course for the high schools instead of
the present four years.
SUCCESSFUL IN TWO CITIES
These intermediate schools are a new
feature of American educational en-
4 Nhnxy orn In cIIaRnCCfIll r.
alton in Baltimore in the east and in
Berkeley, which is the only coast city
that has tried them.
In addition to doing away with
threatened congestion locally Superin-
tendent Francis believes the interme-
date schools will prove Of value in
making the transition between grade
and high schools easier for the pupils.
1--WE have found" he said last night,
that pupils entering the high schools
require a very appreciable time to
adapt themselves to the new methods
they find there. In the grade schools
there is no specialization. All subjects
are taught by one teacher and it is
the business of that one teacher to as
sign lessons and to see that the pupils
learn them. In the high school all
subjects are specialized. One teacher
teaches one thing and another, another
| Thus teacher in German. for instance,
| will assign a lesson and never see the
pupil again until recitation time comes
around for that subject. The whole
system is new to the children and 1t
| takes time for them to adapt them
selves to 1t.
"The intermediate schools begin spe-
cialization gradually, in the seventh
| grade. 1 believe that intermediate
| schools will enable us to reduce the
time required by "a pupil to go from
the first grade through the high school
by a full year and without crowding.
CONGESTION is INEVITABLE
"The matter probably will be dis
cussed by the board at Mondays meet
ing, together with other plans for meet
| ing an expected and inevitable congest-
ed condition in all schools, grade and
high.
"There are two grade schools at
present operating on the halliday
| basis. These are the school at First
and Boyd and the First Street school
on the east side. Our present enroll
ment shows a gain of 5000 pupils over
| last year. If the same rate of increase
| is observed the number next year will
be 1900 greater than it is now. Will
mington will need new school build
| ing within the next two or three years
and so will San Pedro. If we were to
begin Immediately we couldn't build
schools in time to avoid congestion.
We shall certainly have outgroWn our
high school facilities by next fall.
'There are no funds on hand with
which to erect new school buildings,
and hence the matter of intermediate
schools depends first upon a bond
ISSUE"
Superintendent Francis yesterday
began a tour of inspection which be-
fore it is completed will take him into
every school district in the city, He
will base his recommendations for fu-
ture school buildings and for additions
| to present structures on what he
learns during this inspection.