The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-03-13
BOARD REJECTS
ROTARY CLUBS
SCHOOL PLANS
1t Wants 100000 Under
Its Control and Federal
Survey-New Schools and
Large Additions Planned.

Large Additions Planned.
Rejecting all commission plans for
the procuring I'M handling Of bonds
for the improvement and maintenance
Of the public schools, the Memphis
board of education has arranged for |
a federal survey of the city school sys-
TEN, upon which it will base all inn
provements to be made, and in the
meantime the report of the special
committee submitted at the meeting
Iof the board Wednesday night, will
be used as the basis for an immediate
appeal to the legislature for a bond
issue of 1880, 900 to carry out the
recommendations which may be en-
braced in the federal survey.
HArdwig Peres, president, announced
that q conference had been arranged
between the board Of education and
the city commission for Thursday with
respect to securing the Endorsement Of
the city commission for the bond issue,
Mr.. Peres stated that Mayor Monte
verde had expressed himself as favor
able to doing everything possible for
improving the schools. Z
The plan of the Rotary club for the
creation of a permanent school COM
mission of five members, of which three
would represent the city schools and
two would represent the county schools,
with authority from the legislature to
issue SO, 000, 900 in bonds for the inn
proVement of the school system as
required; 1000, 600 to be used for the
city schools and 81. 000, 900 for the coun-
ty schools, and with further authority
to regulats the tax gate in case addi-
tional funds were required for the
gpbpOlg uyuG flatlY pniRTthH nv the
board.
New Negro Schools.
The report of the special committee
to Investigate the immediate needs Of
the schools, calls for an expenditure
Of $3.50, 900, of which sum 81, 10000
is for the white schools and SITS, 900
for the negro schools. The plan for
the white schools calls for the addi-
ton of 70 rooms to the present build
ings at an average cost of $4,000. per
room; the building OF two new buildings
of the RoZell type to care for the
growing school needs, at a cost Of $780,
900, not including grounds; the build
ing of a new vocational schools to care
for immediate needs, to cost $l00, 900;
and general repairs to 20 buildings
costing $751; 900.
The committee recommended that
for the negro schools, the Carnes ave-
nue., Kortrecht high, Virginia avenue,
and Porter school buildings be re-
placed with new buildings, and that
the condition at LaRose school and a
small frame building be built for the
Charles avenue school.
Mr.. Peres read a communication
stating that the federal survey could
be made for the sum of SIS, 900 instead
of the first estimate Of S6, 800, and that
two southern educators would be added
to the force making the survey. II
was the opinion of the board hat nc
definite plans could be approved fol
improving the schools until the survey
is completed, but in order to secure The
necessary issue of bonds from the pres
ent session of the Legislature, the re
port of the special committee will b,
used as a basis for making all esti
mates.
Junior Highs Favored.
The special committee, which wa
composed of Dan G. Newton, w. G. Ed
mondson inc Walk C. Jones, indorse
the junior high school system, whic
the committee said would remove frol
the grammar grade schools the seVent
be and eighth grades and from the CentrS
H. high school the ninth grade, and thu
~relieve the congestion in these school!
lg Four new junior high buildings ,wer
n, recommended, Fhe junior high school
IN would embrace the seventh, eighth an
lltllll biduCS anu dl6o RIoN VIZ a Wi
rieulum completely to embrace the mar
ual training course for boys and dc
, nestle science for girls.
The addition of one, new building eaC
, alternate year to provide for the growt
of the white scholastic population WI
H. advised by. the committee, The negr
in enrolment for the years 1917, 1918 an
IN 1919 had decreased, the committee sait
nd The buildings of the type of Madiso
Heights, Idlewild, Maury, Hill. Pope an
an Gordon schools were well designed an
properly constructed, the committe
RS said. but now o~Vercrowded.
Additions Scheduled.
a. The committee recommended that II
ry number of rooms at Idlewild, Cummir
IL and Peabody. schools, which now hay
c. eight rooms, be doubled 1t advised tt
addition of eight rooms to Bruce schoo
)le four rooms to st. Paul, Pope, Gordol
lie Snowden and Madison schools; thrt
of rooms to Maury and 10 rooms to Hill.
or Charles ]. Haase, chairman Of II
CHI joint committee appointed by the Rota,
club to investigate the needs of Il
schools. was present at the meeting
the school board, and asked for the n
port Of Marion Evans, attorney for Il
board, as to h constitutionality Of Il
plan for the school commission. TT
discussion of the legality of the con
mission plan was brought to a cor
clusion by the announcement of Al
thony Walsh that, regardless Of II
legality Of the commission plan, II
board had decided unanimously again
the plan and that further discussiC
was a waste of time,
The building and grounds committc
was authorized to let the contract t,
two buildings, 80 by 90 each, on Il
Central high school grounds to be use
as armories at a cost not to exCet
81. 500.
Representatives Of the Parent-Teac
err association of Bruce school protestt
that pupils assigned to other schoo
after the district lines were change
had returned to the Bruce school, eau
ing the congested condition to be
bad as ever. The matter was %referrt
to the buildings and grounds Committe
Attendances Increases.
The report of Wharton s. Jones, 81
perintendent, showed an enrolment f
February Of 21,3T9 as compared wi
1885 for January, an Increase of 1,0l
and al increase Of 1,137 over Februar
1918. as follows:
White Schools. 1919. 19l
Bruce 90S =
Central High .,.....,...... l,039 IL
Church Home ............ 70
Cummings ."......r..... 657 6
Gordon ...,........A., 460 4
Guthrie $50 3
Guthrie might ......".. SO
Hill 974
Hope (night) ."",""...,. BIZ .
luleWllu .,.'',.,s,t, go I
Lauderdale .,............ SSb :
Leath 694 I
n Ipatb pQphyqDlopiGai %