Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-31
NINE HUNDRED NEW
SCHOOL CHILDREN
Value of Public School Build
ings and Grounds is Five
Million Dollars.
IMPROVEMENTS ARE MANY

The total enrolment of the school:
OF Greater Omaha at this time is g.,
542, an increase Of 900 during the
year. OF the total mentioned l,l50 are
attending the Central High evening
school, TT at South High evening
school and 495 at the South, Comenius
and Kellom elementary evening
schools.
The average daily attendance dur
ing the school year ending June, 1916
was 23,4SC.
The value OF the public school sys-
TEN grounds and buildings is nearly
$5,000,0O0 and the bonded debt is ST.
795,000. There is an uncxpended bal
ance of $825,844 in the site and build
ing bond fund, being part of ST 900, 900
bonds authorized by the voters in
1915. This money is being expended
in the fulhllment of building pro-
gram which is engaging the attention
of the buildings and grounds commit
tee.
Need More Schools.
During the year the board decided
to erect new schools on the Park and
Clifton Hill sites and establish new
schools to be known as Henry w.
Yates and Field Club schools, on sites
already purchased. Architects were
engaged for these buildings, but the
unexpected advance in cost of build
ing materials upset the plans of the
board. The contract for erection of
the Henry w. Yates school has been
awarded to Alex Beck and will be
ready for opening at the beginning Of
the new school year next September.
Architects are now revising plans for
the Park, Clifton Hill and Field Club
schools.
During the year the following i'm
provements were made in the con-
struction of annexes and additions:
Belvidere. four-room annex; Park,
Mason, Saunders. Lothrop. Walnut
Hill, Clifton Hill and West Side, two
room annex each; Bancroft. compile
ton of four-room unit to sixtcen-room
building; High School of Commerce,
eight rooms in annexes; Central,
addition; Columbian, four
room addition; South High, new gym
nasium; South Central. new ten-room
building all on ground floor; Frank
lin, addition of eight rooms and audi
forum; South Franklin, addition of
four rooms and auditorium; Lincoln,
addition Of six rooms and auditorium.
The board decided to build on the old
Train site new cight-room school
with auditorium. A site was pur-
chased at Twenty-second and Chicago
streets for a new High School of
Commerce building
Medical Department.
A medical inspection department
has been established with a corps of
eight nurses and superintendent
who maintains an office in the school
rooms on the fifth floor of the city
hall. Regular inspections are made
of all schools.
The 1916 school census was 1882,
as against 37,823 for 1915.
During August the board approved
a budget for 1917 in the total sum
of 81. $50, l49, OF which $l,l34,5l9 is ex-
pected through general taxation and
1854, 200 in liquor license revenue, but
the adoption of the prohibitory
amendment in November will leave
a gap in the school district finances.
The last school levy was Is miles.
which is the maximum. 1t is proposed
that the Legislature shall be asked this
winter to increase the school district
mills levy to 80 mills, or perhaps more
than that maximum. The prospect of
increasing salaries Of grade teachers
and principals adds another phase to
the financial problem awaiting the
new school board.
Last summer vacation schools were
conducted at Saratoga, Long, Ban
croft, South High and Farnam schools
rom June 10 for period OF six weeks.
These schools were provided for
pupils who fell behind during the
-egular school year and were anxious
10 make their grades.
The school board will start the
new year with six new members:
Francis A. Brogan, Samuel Burns. IT,.
Frank E. Clark, Charles O. Talmage,
Arthur R. Wells and Thomas Fal- |
,oner.