El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-03-30
SCHOOL BOARD
SAVING MONEY.
How Present Plan Of Teach.
ing Holds Down Taxes
and School Costs.
BY c. B. STEVENS
Member II Paso school Board

aAENnMEE II A%Al @NAAA0A IN~-HHH
In the past five years e Paso has
practically doubled its population and
it has more than doubled its average
school attendance. In 1888 the av-
eraee daily attendance was 1851 This
year il will average about 9oGo, The
gains made in attendance from year
70 year since 1s12-lS are as follows:
1855 a gain Of 70 percent over that
Of the previous year; 19l4-l5 saia
Of 20 percent; 1855 a gain Of q
percent; I916-I7 a gain OF II percent
In most cities an Increase OF per-
cent is considered large
With such yearly Increases IN al
tendance the board Of trustees Wa@
met with the problem OF how 20 mouse
the children asking for admission 70
the schools. At first, part time at
tendance was used as a solution. but
this did not produce tEe desired re,
suits educationally. In one school
there were as many as three classes
TO a room, each attending about three
hours q day.
ModIfled Gary System.
After studying the situation Tor
year IL was decided TO Introduce the
duplicate class, or Gary Plan N one
building. This was tried out for
year IN the Aoy school with such
other schools the following year Il
was found that by the use OF THIS
plan the capacity OF the schools usiuE
It was increased from 10 70 30 per-
cent The board members naturally
thought that II they could save the
taxpayers Of the city thousands OF
dollars in the matter OF school build
ings, il was their duty 70 do this In
the five years mentioned they have
furnished So additional rooms Tor
elementary class, but this OF course.
has not been sufficient to take care
Of the great increases from year 10
year
Il can be shown that were the du-
pllcate plan not now in use about %
additional class rooms would be need
ed 70 house the children now In at
tendance Then these class rooms
would have 10 be equipped with desks
and other school equipment. II the
cost per class room averaged only
$1,000 (Alta Vista averaged about
tional class rooms would amount to
$4,000, and the cost for the equip
meat OF these rooms, plus Is others
that are not now equipped for the old
style OF school, would doubtless run
% sl-og9 more making the total
This Is about the amount in money
saved the taxpayers in building and
equipment by the Introduction OF the
duplicate plan OF instruction OF
course, the above cost does not take
into consideration the cost o. land
Necessary 10 place the additional
playground that should be necessary
20 go with such buildings Roughly
estimating this at two city blocks,
the. cost for additional ground would
probably run from $4,000 TO $4,000,
depending on where the buildings
were located.
Would Raise Taxes.
II these additional rooms were or.
gained into Two schools, the over
head cost including principals and
item Of expense amounting 10 about
5000 year. This item alone would
mean raising the tax rate one cent
on The 500 OF valuation.
Furthermore, the old style OF or.
saniZatipn requires more teachers to-
q school than the duplicate plan, and
hence u is more expensive TO run
than the duplicate plan The tradi-
uonal plan calls for a regular teacher
for each class 20 teach the funda-
arlInInele, ete-l, and additional
teachers in the grammar gFades 20
teach applied subjects drawing,
manual manual training music, Physical
saving In Teaeherz.
Take the Alta Vista school as an
example. This school has an enroll
ment OF over 100 and Is run on the
duplicate class plan In grades two,
three and four. There are % classes
IN this school. There are 20 tsschsrs.
principal and an office assistant.
This number includes Special teach
ers OF all kinds. drawing teachers.
lnuslo teachers manual training and
aomesuc science teachers, physical
- INNS teScnsIs a writing teacher
The old plan Of organization would
cal Tor principal and office assist
ant IS teachers Of the fundamentals.
ana at least one each OF the follow
ing special subjects: drawing, manual
training domestic science, vocal
music, physical training and Spanish.
making total OF 80 teachers. or six
more than the number teaching under
Inc present plan OF organization. All
me average salary now paid. these
-aalllonai teachers would cost the
slty st least $4,000 year This item
would raise the tax levy mere than
] Il cents on the s190 valuation.
4nere are approximately 5000 uu-
plls enrolled under the duplicate plan
Multiply the additional cost for Aita
Vista under the old plan by five and
you viii have approximately 10000
additional cost for teachine force
should the old plan replace the dupli- I
cate plan.
What A Change Would Cost
summarizing additional costs OF tn |
y an llonal plan over present cost OF
suit is obtained:
5or bulldingsand equipment. 3 $4,000 |
or building sites .-.--. 10000 I
4 OF buildings and sites ......gI40.O00 |
yearly increase in expenses.
For annual interest charges
on anUNe az alr enn j
toF overhead expenses ... 5000
or addltlonal teachers ..... 10000 !
nc case annual expense. $1,000 I
ne ABOVE represents an increased I
bonded Indebtedness Of eTsn I
700 and an increase IN the tax rate OF I
3 pproximately 10 cents on the 500
ot valuation.