The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1920-08-20
CLAXTON'S REPORT GIVES
NEEDS OF CITY SCHOOLS
Would Have Elizabeth City Adopt the Work
Study-Play Plan Which Has Proved Thor
oughly Satisfactory in Other Cities

COMMISSIONER OF EOuCat1On t. L.
Claxton, received this week, dis
closes the fact that, in order to
take care of the educational
needs of Elizabeth City for the
coming five years, we must spend
approximately $4,000; the pre-
sent primary school building
must be abandoned, for the rea-
son that it is defectively lighted
and is working positive harm to
the eyes Of the pupils working
there Commissioner C1axton re-
commends that a 12-unit modern
school building, which, with the
present high school, will house a
48-class school, be erected at an
approximate cost of $4,000.
For the co1ored race, the COM
! missioner states that 13-unit
building, to provide for an 49,
class school, should be erected.
Such "a building would cost
around $208,OOO. However, as a
temporary measure to care for
the colored school population,
DR.. Claxton states that two nov
able buildings may be erected at
a cost of $4,000 which will care
for present, needs.
Schools Badly Congested
- People living in this city, should read
carefully the description of the work
play study plan described in the Clax-
ton report which follows. Under this
plan the class rooms, auditoriums, play
grounds and workshops are all in use
at the same time. Yet, just as many
hours are spent upon regular studies
as under the old plan. Between 30
and 40 of the most progressive cities
in America are to-day following this
plan. Here is the report of Commits
sioner Claxton in detail:
The schools of Elizabeth City are bad
ly congested. 1t is important that the
city undertake a building program which
will not only relieve present congestion
but also provide for increase in enroll
ment over a period of years. In order
to do this it is necessary to determine
% how many children there are of
school age in the city, (2) what is the
present number of children enrolled in
school and what is the present school
congestion, that is how many children
are without adequate seating accomoda-
tions, (3) what has been the rate of in
crease in the school population over a
period of years, and az the appropria-
ton that will be necessary in order to
give children not only seating accomo-
dations bu modern school facilities.
Provides For Yearly Increase
According to the school census there '
were 2.997 children between the ages of
and 21 in Elizabeth City in 1920.
Eliminating those between the ages of
Is and 20, there were apparently 2,789
children of school age in the city. Of
this number 1,641 were white children
and 1,14SAwere negro.
But although there were 2,7S9 child
rem of school age, only 2,202 were en-
rolled in the public schools. Of these,
1,425 were white and TT were negro.
In other words, there were 216 white
children of school age who were not in
public school and 371 negro children
who were not in public school. That
is, 21 per cent of all children of school
age were not enrolled in public school
Obviously, any adequate building pro-
gram must provide for these children
whom the public school is under obliga-
tion to care for, and who would be far
more likely to attend if the school ac-
comodations were adequate and modern.
On the other hand, if they do not enter
school even when new buildings are
provided, then the building program
will provide for an increase in
enrolment over more than 5 years.
In 1919-2O there We're 1,425 white
children enrolled in schooi,-or 81 class
es. There are 2 white school buildings,
the Primary, which houses grades
from 1 to 3 inclusive, and the High
School which houses grades from 4 to
inclusive, and 8 to IL inclusive.
In the Primary School there are
16 classes but only 13 regular class
rooms. In the High School there are
16 regular classrooms and 21 classes.
LII OCuer WOFuS, III IueSe LueFe
are eight more classes than there are
classrooms available.
The rate of increase has been about
1h classes per year for the last
years. For example, in 1914-15 there
we're LAO children enrolled, while in
1920 there were 1,425, or an increase
IF 2S5 children, approximately class
IS.
Must Abandon Primary School
The school authorities have made
Every effort to meet the increasing
congestion but they have had an almost
impossible task. They have been com
oelled to use basement rooms which
never should have been used as class
'ooms; corners of the auditorium have
,een partitioned off to make room for
classes, and it is understood that even
he auditorium stage has been pressed
nto service as Classroom
But the situation is worse than these
acts would indicate for although there
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