The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-05-03

the Introduction of more practical
grammar and high school courses have
done in several southern cities about
the size of Pensac cola (and smaller),
and to outline the steps Pensacola
needs to take toward establishing a
special city school district under Flor
ida law a the starting of a city school
system. The specific result to which
attention is called is that in such sys-
TENS a very much larger number of
boys and girls than formerly continue
their education in the higher grades of
the school and even through the high
school. A comparison Of the high
school enrolment in these places with
that in Pensacola indicates something
of what we might in time expect here
under the proper system for the city.
In Pensa cola the high school enroll
ment 9th to 18th gradeS) is for this
year two hundred last year one hun
dred and siXty-three. In GreenVllle,
(Miss) it was 0912) PIC, Columbus,
CGa.). 224. Columbus, IS. c.. 271. Me
ridian. CAfiss.), 329. Hot Springs. (Ark)
361, Asheville. IN. O., 372, Jackson,
GIiss), All, Fort Smith, Ark), sos,
Durham, IN. O., 632. The largest of
these cities has $4,000 people, the
smallest 10000: Durham has a popu-
lation Of 10000 While conditions in
Pensacola are different from conditions
in any Of these cities. the figures are
nevertheless worth examination. and
should cause us to consider whether We
ought to wait very long before doing
all that can be done to help matters
here Next year the high school en-
roIlment in Pensacola will range be
tween 225 and $50. and the present
building Will be much overcrowded.
The only way to remedy matters is
to establish a special school district for
the city. To do this a petition for an
election signed by one-fourth of the
tax paying qualified voters must be
filed with the board of public instruc-
ton, and this board will, provide the
petition has been previously advertised
as required by law. order an election
to decide whether Pensacola shall be
come a special school district with
boundaries as set out in the petition,
who shall be the three school trustees
therefor to have charge of the eX-
pC1ditares of the fund therefrom and
the advisory management or the
schools, and what number of mills of
district tax (nOt more than three) shall
be collected annually for school pur-
poses within said district for the next
two years. AS can be readily seen the
central point here is the cooperation
of the citizens who have the real Pen
sacOla spirit and believe that the best
eduCatiOna facilities are necessary if
the city is to grow as rapidly and as
substantially as it should. The NeOple
of Pensacola are the ones to decide
what is the ripe time to launch this
movement. and if conditions are not
suitable for it now. they can decide
what is the proper time. If the people
of the city are interested in improving
the schools, the Chamber of Com
merce' or the Boosters Club might at
the proper time call a mass meeting to
help CrystaIize sentiment and formu
late ways and means for starting the
campaign. The movement should be
considered carefully, and without either
rush or too great delay The whole
matter is Pensacola sail Pensacola's;
it concerns all the children of all the
people and surely the people at large
feel that their children's interests are
worth the careful consideration of
every man and woman in the city.