The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-13
PROBLEMS OF HIGH SCHOOL DISCUSSED
 K|WAN|S
KiWanians Guests at Central High SchooI-Dr. Brown Speaks on Present Facili-
 ties of School

%AN w oSAlOOl OolINk lngs to be erected on Eightl avenue and at Woodlawn or which actual work will be com menced in the next few weeks will be entirely inadequate tc meet the growing needs of the city," said J. R. Hornady, city commissioner of health ano education, speaking at the meeting of the Kiwanis Clut held yesterday at the Centra High School, the occasion be, ing Public School Day" of the club.
 Members of the city and county boards ! of education, the City Commission and d number of business men were invited tc meet with the club at the gathering which proved to be the most forceru and instructive that has been held by the Kiwanians during the year. If these two schools, for which ar. arrangements have been hanging fire fol the past two years, had been built when the argument and the litigation first started they would have cost the city just one-half as much as they will cost now" said MT. Hornady. The same thing is true of the public school build- ing programme. The same argument and the same litigation had to be gone through with and today when the city is all ready to sell the s2.ooOOOo bond issue, they can get about so cents on the dollar for the bonds. for one am in favor Of making the financial sacrifice and giving the children the facilities that they need and must have"
 pr. N A. Barrett, in brief talk, told the members of the club that the plans for school buildings are on the way to a rapid completion. Dr. J. H. Phillips stressed the importance of a pubic school system to the country, and Dr. N, A. Baker talked on the work of the county schools.
 The principal address of the day was made by pr. Charles A. Brown, principal of the Central High School, who under took to show the Kiwanians and the citi- zens of Birmingham that the high school is faring very we'll and not half as much in need of sympathy as the general pub lie seems to think.
 SCHOOL FACILITIES
 According to Dr. Brown the high school has at present S6 rooms, 88 teach CTS and approximately 30 pupils to each class. which is the average in most high schools. In the Ensley High School there are 26 teachers with classes run ming the same average size as at Central.
 Of the efficiency and good work that is being done in the Central High School he spoke briefly.
 Owing to the fire which destroyed most of the Central High School equipment the pupils are sometimes hampered in various departments, said Dr. Brown. For instance. in the gymnasium where the space is small and there is no equip ment and no place to put it if the equip ment was provided.
 There are at present six major courses being taught in the high school. They are classified as follows General, scien- titic. English, manual arts, commercial courses which are taught and one-half of the expenses of the maintenance of the special teachers required for the courses is paid by the federal government.
 It is worthy of note that the Birming- ham High School was one of the first to qualify when the federal government of fered the courses to the high schools of the country.
 The pupils of the Central High School arc divided into three classes, the A, E and c groups, according to their pro- ficiency in scholarship. The class is the one which makes from 30 to 100 per cent average on the monthly reports; the B group makes an average percentage or 70 to 79. and the c group makes 69 or be- low. The first group may finish in three and one-half years, the second is not al- t.lr ,ae tbo fc,, ftilt the course. and the third Is allowed four and one-half years in which to finish.
 SCHOOL HISTORY
 For the benefit of the' assembled Ki- wanlans, pr. Brown gave the following brief history of the Birmingham High School:
 The Birmingham Central High School was established in 1883 and was the first public high school in Alabama. It had 4e students taught by one teacher with the assistance of the principal-superin- tendent, Dr. J. H. Phillips.
 The first graduating class in 1885-6 con sisted of three boys and three girls, as follows: Sam Earle, A. B. Johnston, cousin of Mary Johnston, the author; Mudd Martin, Kate Cahalan, now Mrs k. N Wheeler; Maggie Cahalan, now Mrs. Macxin. and Mary Hewlett, now Mrs. J. C. Scott.
 The enrollments during the High Schools history shows the following: 18S3-S4 46; 1893-94, PA; 19l0-11, 1345 lsl3-20. 2.725: october 8, 1920, 2.36S; estimate for year. 2,95o
 Ensley High School: 191o-u, PA; Sep tember 1920, 9O; estimate for 1920. 900.
 Of the special teachers. Ensley has ten from six institutions and Central has fifteen from eleven institutions, making a total of twenty-five from fourteen insti- tutions.
 The total graduates from the Central High School since it was founded is as follows: Boys, 4s3; girls, 1,644; total, 2,lN.
 Harmony Singers
 The Jefferson County Christian Har- mony Singers will meet Sunday, Octo- her IT. at 9:30 o'clock at the court