The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-15
SCHOOLS CROWDED
. FOR OPENING DAY
Board Has No Solution for
Congestion, Especially at
Central High School.

With a great many of the white
schools, including the Central high
school, crowded beyond the capacity of
the buildings and with a shortage of
school books, the city schools Of Mem
phis swung wide their doors Monday
morning to the thousands of children of
the city as the official opening of the
1919-1920 season.
No definite action had been taken
Monday morning to relieve the conges-
ton at the Central high school, and Of
ficials of the city school system were
facing a problem that seems well-nigh
hopeless. Several Of the grammar
schools are almost as congested as the
Central high school, and although eff
forts have been made to secure modern
movable schools to be used to relieve
the situation, these have not been re-
ceived and the season starts with con-
ditions as bad or worse in some in
stances than at the close Of the last
| season.
Official figures on the total school
enrolment will not be available, accord
ing to Prof, Wharton S. Jones, super
intendent, until the last of the week.
Due TO the late date on which pub
fishers of the school books signed con-
tracts with the state textbook commits
sion, the publishers were unable to fur
nish the necessary books in sufficient
quantities to supply the demand.
HtOuB1OuL iaSt "NChs dHN obulh NhOi-
day morning, the store of A. r. Tay-
Tor company, local distributors of text
books, was filled to overflowing with
parents and pupils in a desperate
scramble to secure their books.
Orders for a sufficient supply of books
are filed with the publishers and ship
ments are being received almost hourly.
but the orders are not being filled and
| the result Is that many of the pupils
will be unprepared to take up their
studies until they can secure the new
textbooks assigned to them,
Book Situation Improves.
The situation, insofar as the books
are concerned, is being steadily inn
proved and school officials do not antici-
pate very serious Interference with the
work of the pupils. They point out that
several days will be taken up in the
organization OF classes and arrangement
Of the pupils, and they expect that by
the time real work is begun a sufficient
supply of books will have been resolved,
The enrolment at the Central high
school Is the heaviest in the history oil
the school, and members of the boart
and other school executives are face t
face with a most serious situation. The
n erection Of n temporary trame addition
: to the school Is impracticable and tn,
Z condition of the school treasury does no
a permit the building of a brick addition
Just what will be done to relieve tn
!, congestion has not been decided.
I The office of the board of education
9 on Monday morning presented as bus,
. a scene as the proverbial beehive an
added to the troubles and worries of tn
superintendent were hundreds of call
from parents asking special action 70
their children. teachers who failed t
report for duty and ensuing confusio
OF dispatching substitute teachers an
transferring pupils.
A. soon as order shall nave been re
stored out Of chaos, the congested stu
alton at the numerous schools relieve
and the book shortage cared for, tn
board of education will have presente
for its consideration at the next regula
meeting a petition for increased pa
i from the Memphis Teachers associa
Z tion.