Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-07-01
BOARD PREPARES
FOR OPENING OF
NEW HIGH SCHOOLS
DR.. Downes Regrets Buildings
Were Not Designated
Properly

+NS" illBH oCnOOl constructor,
opening of a new open-alr school,
professional improvement OF teach
ers, Increased salaries, improved su.
pervision and greater business effici.
ency are surely evidences of a graft
Tying forward movement" DIR. +. Il.
Downes, city school superintendent
said In concluding part of his an.
nual report submitted to the city
School Board to-day.
The report liz devoted to n review
OF the years work in the city dis
trict and summarizes completely the
new activities, changes in admins
trative methods and plans for the
reorganization work which is being
arranged for now and will be car
ried out in September when the
schools reopen.
Speaking of the construction of
the two new schools-the Camp Cur
tin and Edison buildings-Dr. Downes
expresses regret that they are not
given the same name, either Junior
high school" or intermediate school,"
The Edison building is given the lat
ter name and the Camp Curtin thu
former.
Teachers Arc Busy
That the past school year was an
unusually trying one for the teach
ers Is another assertion made by the
Superintendent. He pointed to the
necessity for intensified work after
the influenza epidemic was over, and
to the continued irregular attendance
after the schools reopened, and dur
Ing the spring when a measles cpl
demic kept more than thousand
children out of school at various
times.
About 40 teachers took the winter
course of instruction under the direc-
tion of Professor John L. Stewart Of
Lehigh University, and 60 took the
final examinations and will receive
credits for their work.
When the Woodruff salary bill is
approved further revision of the rules
of the Board will be necessary to
meet the salary increases for teach
ers. Dr. Downes stating that this will
affect largely the city district mini
mum salaries, because they are cX-
ceptionally low.
Under tho reorganization plans a
supervisor OF manual training, SUI
pervisor of special activities. super
visor of advanced grades, supervisor
OF primary grades and ten elementary
supervisory principals were appoint
ed. The duties of the supervisors
of music and drawing also were
changed somewhat. The only other
appointment TO be made to carry out
this program Is that of n supervisor
of physical education.
Continuing his review Dir. Downes
said:
New business Methods
Much time during the year has
tod 90 4
opening the new intermediate schools
In the fall. The principals on March
first were relieved of all other duties
in order to devote their full time to
aiding in the work. The preparation
OF announcements, classification of
pupils, appointment of teachers, Sc
lection of textbooks, equipment and
supplies, attention to programs and
courses CT study, To say nothing of
the working out of the budget for
these schools have demanded the
most careful consideration. The con-
templated opening of two schools
at one time has, of course. increased
the complexity Of the general prob
lem.
"A review of the year would not
be complete without special refer
ence to the inauguration of new and
business affairs of the district. The
differentiation of duties. the fixing
of responsibility, the Improvement Of
business forms and the itemization Of
budget, are particularly worthy of
mention. The determination of the
Board to conduct business strictly on
the budget basis will, without doubt
meet with general public approval.
Continuation school
"Since its organization, our con-
tinuation school. for lack OF accom-
modations elsewhere, has been con-
Quoted at 424 Forster street, in an
old dwellinghouse remodeled for
school purposes. This arrangement
has never been satisfactory in any
respect. The school has been cramp-
ed. unsanitary, and without adequate
facilities for the purposes intended,
The work of the year has been all
that could be expected under the cir
cumstances. but we shall never be
able to make much progress In the
school until conditions are greatly
improved,
I'm report during the year I
called attention to the gradual re-
ductton in enrolment in the Teach
ers' Training School and recommend
ed the abandonment of the school.
The limited number of applications
for admission to the new class in
September has only served to streng-
then my conviction that this course
Is the only logical course to pursue.
should the demand for local teacher
training in the future justify the
maintenance of such school, II
could be reorganized as formerly, At
present there certainly Is no warrant
ed demand for it's continuance under
former conditions"