El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-03-28
SYSTEM
LEADING TOPIC
Some Voters Regard It So
in Selecting Candidates
for School Board.

As some voters see the situation,
the present campaign for the election
Of three school trustees resolves itself
into this; When the voters meet in
[ sovereign assembly at the polls April
6, the question before the house viii
be the Gary system, and the candi-
dates are to be selected as to whether
or not they oppose this system. It
therefore becomes pertinent to ask.
What is this Gary system2 Is it e
patriotic substitute for sauer kraut,
or the national anthem OF our ally
SiamT It has been said by some ad-
TOcates Of the system that certain Of
its opponents couldn't say which OF
these two things the Gary system
really is.
Meant TO Handle Numbers.
The Gary system originated and
takes its name from Gary. Indiana. IL
is ordinarily understood. and was
worked out by school experts who
were seeking a plan whereby IN
usually large numbers OF children
could be handled, Gary being a manu-
featuring town and containing many
foreign inhabitants whose families
are large Under the old plan. chill
dren went TO school at nine o'clock IN
the morning and were divided into
classes, each class remaining in one
room all day with one teacher
This was all right for the little red
school houses, where attendance rec
Ords never eQualed the number Of
tickets sold at a world series game, I
but when city developed TO the size /
OF Gary the classrooms began TO |
overflow and property holders began /
TO yell at the maintenance costs and /
70 refuse to vote more bonds for the I
building Of new schools. The new
system was then ushered in.
Divides Day Into Periods.
It consisted merely in dividing the /
school day into a number OF periods. !
Thereafter a class would study one
period ana be released for supervised /
play the next, making room in the /
seating capacity Of the school was i
therefore doubled. and the length Of 4
the class day for each child cut in /
two. with the second half devoted 10 /
play, the children to be under the i
supervision Of a teacher whose duty
munity instincts Of the children while /
they enjoyed themselves.
Fl Paso Has Foreign Problem.
Now Fl Paso has a foreign pOpula-
as large as those at Gary.
Consequently some OF the schools /
have become crowded. The Gary ]
system, in a modified form. has
been introduced in these schools.
which are: Aoy. attendance 1883:
Villas, 3g4; 8Iorehead. 446: Bailey, 5O4:
san Jacinto. 525, and Alta Vista, $40.
lIhe attendance figures are taken
from the February report Of Supt r.
>. 1ighe and represent average daily
not total enrolmeuts.O
Stopping Would Be Costly.
According to Charles B. Stevens. a
member Of the school board whose
term does not expire this year and
who has no direct interest in the
present school election, the abolish
ment Of the modified Gary system at
these schools would mean that % to
80 additional rooms with about 1900
seats, would have 10 be provided for
the children.
This would mean. in the opinion
OF lIr. stevens, that n bond Issue
OF about 100000 would be needed
at once.
The question vel non the Gary sys-
tenn therefore, Ranges into the query.
Shall 100000 bonds be voted at this
time to provide for the surplus school
No Religious Features Here.
Among the features of the Gary
system not in use in El Paso is the
religious side 1t is not considered
advisable in community like this to
nave religion enter the public schools
IN any shape manner or form
The total enrolment in all the
schools Of the city system IS 1876.
with an average daily attendance Of
5650 lIhese figures are from Mr.
Iighe's report quoted above) The ,
enrolment has been growing steadily
from year TO year and the taxpayers
Or the city have been called on from
time TO time to vote bonds for build /
ING more schools A recent vote IA
Eored an issue Of 100000, TO take
care Of a surplus existing even under s
The Gary system
City Has Whole Burden. J
Unlike most cities Of its size Ell .
3aso has had no schools erected or
endowed by private philanthropists, ! {
The city having to perform the whole I
ask, so that the burden Of providing {
4 school system which contains as its /
central feature the finest high school I