The Washington times., 1912-02-05
INITIAL ENTRY COST
INTO HIGH SCHOOLS
CAUSES COMPLAINT
Average Parents Cannot Af-
ford Higher Course-Fig-
ureS Show Needs.

What does 1t cost to enter the Wash
ington high schools?
Many parents of boys and girls leav-
ing the eighth grades for entrance into
the high schools assert that the initial
cost of entrance is prohibitive and be-
yond the reach of the average purse.
The man who makes $l2 or $15 a week
says he Is unable to pay the amount
necessary to place his boy in high
school.
To the entering student there are
three possible courses open. The gener-
al high school academic course may be
obtained at Western, in Georgetown;
Eastern, on Capitol Hill; or Central,
at Seventh and o streets. Business
High School, which offers shorthand,
stenography, and other subjects allied
to business education and Technical
High School, which features manual
training and trade subjects, are the
other two schools.
Some parents declare that the cost
of books and supplies for the Washing
ton high schools, and more especially
the two vocational schools. is beyond
their reach. 1t is said the lowest cost
of secondhand books is much too great;
that parents in ordinary circumstances
are unable to meet this cost, and are
forced to stop sending their children
after the eighth grade, in consequence.
Attendance Increasing.
Officials of the system, on the other
hand, maintain that the schools are
being attended to a greater extent than
ever before.
BY at Of Congress. entrance into the
High School Cadet regiment Is made
compulsory. Boys may be excused from
joining, however, on request OF the par
one-third of the boys entering the high
schools go into the cadet corps because
the cost Of uniforms is beyond the means
of the average parent.
Figures compiled by the Board of
Education show that II a boy enters the
cadet corps upon going into the high
schools, his parents will be required to
For the academic schools, Eastern,
western, and Central. the figures for
books are as follows: Algebra, $1.12;
English. y ng 81; geography, $40; history.
book. 81; speiier, rs cents; locker fee,
70 cents; paper, pencils, notebooks, and
drawing materials about 81. For a boy
d6Sots the expense ss of the the II uniform for the
quired for entrance is $2352.,
Figures of Business Course.
AT BUSINESS High School the cost of
books, incidentals of lockers and uni
forms has been figured as follows:
bookkeeping, $3.50; arithmetic, 81; En-
glish, 90 cents; geography, $1.So; short
hand, 80 cents; speller, % cents; type
writing, 35 cents; dictionary, So cents
song book, 81, Paper and fee to physical
geography laboratory cost so cents more
Gymnasium shoes add 80 cents; the uni
form will cost slt The total amount
- Al the Mckinley Manual Training
School, four books required, total, $437:
locker fees are 70 cents, accessories for
woodshop, Including overalls, total,
Fl.2j: mechanical drawing instruments
cost $3.50. With the uniform purchase,
s27.S7.
There are ways of purchasing second
hand books, and many other things re-
uuired from former students, or those
going To higher classes, but the prices
hre quoted from the estimate given out
by the Board of Education. Girls may
Ect into the schools cheaper because no
uniforms are purchased, and at the
Tech" for instance. they are not re-
Nuired to pay $3.50 for drawing instru-
ments.
Pooks in the second. third, and fourth
years cost more. Laboratory fees are
greater, and other activities in the
schools take more money. In addition
to these costs there are those of mem
bership to the athletic associations, the
cost of the school paper. and the diff
terent social events.