Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-07-19
CITY'S SCHOOLS
 INADEQUATE MEET
 GROWING DEMAND
More Buildings Are Neces sary, and Legislature Be
 Asked to Help.

When the next legislature con venes, early next year, it will be ask ed to pass one or more bills that will be of benefit to the Pine Bluff special school district, in that it will allow the school district to issue bonds or otherwise raise the funds necessary for new buildings, in which to con- duct the classes of the schools in the district.
 Members of the school board are avcrse to discussing the matter, prin- cipally because their plans are yet in- choate, and it has not been definitely decided what action should be taken toward this end. The school board admits that something must be done, especially toward increasing the fa- cilities of the high school. Erected several years ago, the high school building, it was then hoped would be sufficiently large to accommodate all the pupils that would enter that institution for fifteen or twenty years. Within less than four years, how ever, the building was crowded, and with each advance of D ptpils from the grammar schools, the congested conditions are made worse. At pres ent. the building and it's equipment are being worked 11aDly heavy. as it were. to care for all the hundreds of children who are taking the ad- vanced course in the public schools.
 Junior High School Considered.
 Two principal plans are being ais cussed by the members of the school board, it is learned, the one providing for the erection of large annex to the present high school building, and the other providing for another new building to be known as the junior high school" These plans~ have been under discussion for seyera, months, yet the school board, because of financial conditions, has reached no definite conclusion as to which is the though the belief is growing strong CT that the junior high school" building will be decided upon in the end.
 There are at present eight grades in the grammar schools, and four grades in the high school. The junior high school" if it is estab- lished, will take two grades from the grammar schools and one from the high school thus relieving both schools of some of the pupils. Un- der the junior high school system, a pupil will attend the grammar school until he or she completes the sitth grade. Then the pupil will en- ter the Junior high school" for the seventh and eighth grades of the grammar course, and the freshman grade of the ordinary high school course. Then the pupil will enter the high school proper, to complete the sophomore, junior and senior grades.
 Such a plan has been tried else where. with more than the success previously anticipated by it's support CTS. Even now. Little Rock is dis cussing the establishment of such an institution. to remedy conditions much like those which prevail here, and the belief prevails among the authorities at Little Rock that the plan will be carried out. Those off cials, school board members and friends of the schools who have studied conditions in Pine Bluff like wise believe the plan will satisfactor fly remedy the conditions existing here, and will prevent. in the future, such congestion of pupils as now is being suffered in this city at the high school.
 Pupils steadily Increase.
 The Pine Bluff special school dis trict is showing steady and rapid in- crease in the number of pupils in the schools. The commissioners have given earnest and serious considera- ton for a year or more past, to defi- nite plans for additional room and equipment. Rough estimates based on tentative plans have been ob- tained. and the school board has a clear idea now of the amount of -