New-York tribune., 1918-09-10
First Days Attendance Is
81, 900 Below Last
Years
War Stops Building;
10000 Part Timers
Draft Expected to Deplete
Sharply Teaching Staff
and Pupils Ranks

Officially the New York schools
opened their doors yesterday for the
191S19 session. But after the final
contingent of youngsters had trailed
out at the end of the first long day
school officials were frank in admitting
that they did not really know much
more about where they stood than they
did before the opening gong sounded
yesterday morning.
All forecasts from those best in
formed had been that the days at
tendance figures would considerably
Surpass those Of year ago. AS a
matter of fact, they fell below them
The lists of September 12, 1917, showed
q total registration of s23,441, with an
attendance of 745,35o. Yesterday regis
trations for all five boroughs totalled
S07 1923. The total attendance amount
ed to 6s4,952.
May Be 10000 Part-Timers
In partial explanation of this, Dr.
William L. Ettingcr, the new city
school superintendent, who was under
going his first opening day ordeal,
pointed out that the 1917 figures &C
counted for two more days than did
the records compiled last night. The
latter, he declared, were merely tenta-
tive. Wednesday, he said, work was
to be begun on fresh lists, which should
be completed by Thursday or Friday.
He added that there was a possibility
that enough pupils would be added to
the roster in the interval to bring the
final enrolment up to last years level.
There were other officials at the
Board of Education building, though,
who stated that if the next two days
ran true to form, the additions would
De comparatively slight
Even under these conditions, how
ever, the problem of overcrowding is
ngain urgently to the fore-esp specially
in Brooklyn and The Bronx. All in
sications are that many pupils will
once again have to receive their educa-
;ion on the part-time system. Last
Year. when the schools closed, 3O,544
OF them were being accommodated
thus. Just how great their number
vii, be this year Dr. Ettinger refused
to estimate until the final registration
lists are assembled later in the week
He admitted. though, that practically
n, steps had been taken to meet this
situation, and that the total might
easily reach 40 1000.
War Stopped Building
The difficulty is:" he said, chat the
$900O,OO0 appropriation passed during
he summer to provide seventeen new
elementary. school buildings, as we'll as
me additions to existing buildings.
has been held up because the War In
dus'rles Board has refused to release
the necessary building materials. |
nave some hope, however, that this de-
cislon may be reversed. Bernard M.
Baruch now has the matter under his
personal consideration. If the board
2ull decides that it can't afford to let
us have the materials, why, then. w.
snail have to meet the situation some
how when 1t arises"
In any event, though, it is conceded
that the proposed buildings could not
DC ready for Immediate use, and al
though during the summer one school
house has been added in BROOKLYN un-
other IN The Bronx and a portable
building introduced. it is SAID that. al
together, Throughout the $40 schools
OF the city, the seating capacity to-day
exceeds last years by only l,466
some uncertainty exists, too, with
regard to the teaching staff. Of the
23,OOO public school teachers in New
4oIk about 1900 are men. Approxi-
ma'e'y 90 per cent of these. DR.. Et-
tihger estimated yesterday. are liable
tor military service under the new
draft. How many will be taken he has
not attempted to decide.
He added, however, that, with the list
ot subatltute teachers at the Board of
o. Examiners disposal there was no
chance of New York suffering acute
Snoctagc in Instructors. which is being
te'f IN Philadelphia and numerous
other cities.
o.. the pupils who answered the
years first rollcal! yesterday 5O,524
3or The first time. AS usual the great
bulk of these-35, ,992 on this occasion
We're enrolled at the elementary
schools. The high schools ranked next,
with 1860, the balance os the new stu
dents being divided between the train
lng and vocational schools.
brooklyn outstripped all boroughs in
point OF students registered. 1t had
2S5,oiS in the elementary schools. as
'1Sf-''HS A''SHH<hNedll -oi 400, -o,DSO IN
The nigh schools, as against 25,564. and
522 IN the training schools, as against
345. Only in the vocational schools, in
which Manhattan registered S53 to
Brooklyn's 445, did this borough take
the lead.
Wars Effect on Attendance
Discussing the falling off in total
registrations, DR.. Ettinger expressed
The opinion that the decline in immi-
Eration probably had much to do with
i. The number of older boys who
have gone off to work on farms for the
summer and have not yet returned or
who have gone permanently into some
industrial work or into the army it
self furnished, he believed, the rest
Of the explanation.
And before the year is out" he
added. "the war will take still more.
in the draft registration on Thursday
1,250 of our boys who have already
reached the age of eigh sen are to be
included. Many more y'.l reach their
eighteenth birthday before the school
year is out"
The Board of Superintendents decided
70 make next Thursday, registration
Gay, Il holiday in all the public schools
of the city. Originally it had been in.
tended to close only the 34S schools
which will be actively used by the dra I
boards. But many public school teach j..
ers are scheduled to help the boards il
tncW work, so Il general holiday was
finally agreed upon. it is believed that