The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-10
SIX NEW SCHOOLS
FOR CITY PUPILS
These Buildings Which Will
Accommodate 1900 Chill
dren to Open in Fall
SCHOOLS TO COME
WILL HOUSE 1900
Buildings Already Completed
at Cost of S135,OO0 and
Those Now Planned Mark
Epoch IN Richmond

Within the four gray walls of mas
sive stone. surmounted Ivy an impos
ing tower Of four faces known
the City Hal. LIS a story of romance
which has long been buried under the
intricate mass of that ponderous ma
chine called municipal govern
ment"
II Is a long story. reeking With that
element OF romance which siffuses
all tales of American cities and the
inside history OF their government.
II is a pretty story. too, for ii deals
with little children. The ending is
sweet and there is no bad taste left
In the mouth.
Thirteen men, hard thinking. clear
minded business men. representing
probably every branch of Richmonds
civic activity, are the principal char
aeters in the story, and the story
Itself is the narrative OF how these
men discovered secret and protited
thereby, benefiting themselves not
whit. but utilizing their discovery to
the advantages Of this city for de-
cades To come. untold.
The sAcret they discovered was that
every dollar spent by r. municipality
in behalf OF the children OF tina, nu-
nicipality Will he returned one hun
dred fold. 1t was big secret. pro-
learned II have endeared themselves
10 Richmond.
IL was to these thirteen men that
Richmond tntrusted the care OF her
pabiic schools, those large plain
buildings. scattered here and there all
over the city. incubators of the brains
OF Richmond in years TO come These
men form the board Of trustees OF
the ftfChmsnd public schools, and
their duties We're probably more i'm
portant than those Of any ether
branch of the s-ity goyernrts Mt
In the hands of this t,oara was
given the future OF Richmond, ard
TO their Judgment WAS left the colos-
sal task OF framing the policy for the
management Of the eity's institutions
OF learning. They soon learned TO
wha, extent the future of Virginia.
fair capital city depended on them.
and they set about the solution OF
manifold ana puTziing problems with
manly determination and ctvtc pride
\ Glance backward,
They glanced back over the pages
OF Richmond's history. noted the In
estimable havoc wrought by the war
which convuised the States, studied
the methods by which the South had
started ON the pathway to recovery
and speculeted on the reasons why
the city, growing more rapidly than
ever before, was still retarded In pro-
gress.
Richmond Was compared with other
cities, her public schools were
placed side by side with the public
schools OF larger and richer cities
and the methods of conducting the
public schools OF larger and richer
cities and the methods of conducting
the public schools here were compar-
ed with the methods In vogue In cities
famous, the world over for superior
public educational facilities
The parallel thus drawn reflected
no credit on Richmond. change
must be made. A big change was
necessary and with II innumerable
little changes In the management OF
the public schools. How shall we go
about it? That was the question
these men asked each other and the
answer was: Make the big change
first and let the less important
changes follow"
This primal, dominant change SO
essential to the welfare az Rieh.nana
was the necessity of spending more
money on the public schools. even IL
other city improvements must needs
be neglected. Having discovered that
every dollar for the children returns
one hundred dollars where city Is
concerned. the thirteen members OF
the school board started in spending
money.
A glance at a fex figures and facts
will tell how well they succeeded in
their task. In the past year the city
of Richmond has spent the enormous
sum of 100000 on the public schools
Only $4,000 OF that amount was
for the pay of teachers. maintenance
Of schools and general running ex-
penses. More than half or the total
amount. $4,000. went for the erec-
ton of new schools and this block
Of currency went close on the heels
of 1875. 900 for the erection of the
John Marshall High school.
Has the school board of trustees
benefited Richmond by the discovery
Of their secret? Let Mr.. Citizen
whose. children are daily preparing
themselves for the battles Of life an
swer the question. If he has ac-
auainted himself with the situation
ne will tell you that this city has
never before taken the strides in
school Improvement that have been
made within the past twelve months.
Schools Increase Population.
It Is no idle boast that Richmond
- has the best public school system
Of all the big cities in the South and
Il il not foolish prediction that II
she. continues her present rate Of
progress she will outstrip all ordinary
competitors and step in the rank OF
the foremost cities in the United
States within the lifetime Of the pupils
now attending the public schools.
The question has been asked. III
the public aware OF the efficiency and
excellence Of the schools OF Rich
monde" Those who know can answer
only afirmatively, for the fame Of
the public schools Of Richmond Il
daflv spreading abroad throughout
the country. There are figures IN
! proof. More than one thousand chill
dren whose homes are not In Rich
mond sought admission ia the public
schools OF this city at the last term
And parents of these children were
.vkilaine to nay the city for educating
ihsir children by the methods Dy
4htcM the children ok Richmond Az
"a go Az snI F3lRK pT9oa