Imperial Valley press., 1923-01-05
CALEXICO c. OF c.
WHISTLES II With
SCHOOL CH(N VI PROBLEM il
Waiting Lists of Pupils
Make Prompt Action
Necessary
Each School OvercrOwded
Pupils Have to Go
to MeXicali

The recent mentality tests con
Quoted by Superintendent of Schools
Raft developed some interesting
data, upon which he spoke at tn,
Chamber of Commerce meeting yes
terday. The test has already beer
given to $4,000 pupils Throughout
the nation, he said.
In the Calexico schools, Mr.. Rat
stated, the lower grades, and up I,
the sixth, average SO per cent, with
an increase from the sixth to the
eighth grades. In the latter grade
the test showed an average mental
ity of l02 per cent, being two pea
cent better than the national aver
age.
Secretary Hubbell, of the Cham.
Der of Commerce, who is also n mem
Der of the CaleXico school board
spoke at some length, and explained
the absolute need for more rooms
and teachers to care for the increas-
ing number of pupils.
Mr.. Hubbell stated that, at the
Hoffman school, where two new
rooms have been added within the
last three months, and in which the
grades run from kindergarten 10
fourth grade, that the teachers at
the present moment are handling
more than can efficiently be cared
for, the average number of pupils
per teacher being 400, when, accord
ing to tests, one teacher may handle
efficiently but from - to 80 pupils.
In the same school building there
are four rooms full of first graders,
and only two rooms of second grad
ers. When the first graders are
promoted, ii means that two more
rooms will be Immediately required
to care FOR them, and two more
teachers will be needed. In the
kindergarten, at the same school,
there are now 81 pupils, the room
being crowded much above capacity,
and there are Mt least % more child
rem registered waiting to be taken
in.
Waiting List at Dool School
At the Dool school there are 90
pupils in the first grade, and Is are
known TO be on the waiting list. IN
addition 10 those waiting, there arc
many pupils who live in Calexieo
attending school in Mexicali due to
their inability to gain admission to
the Calexico schools under the CON
gested condition existing now.
The lockwood school is the only
one of the three grammar schools in
which conditions are not so congest
ed, there being two rooms over
crowded, and in these there is not
nearly enough room.
More Room Imperative
The school board feels that it is
imperative that there be built, i'm
mediately, two more rooms on the
Hoffman school, three rooms on the
DooI school, and additional rooms
on the lockwood building, or at
least that classes be formed and
housed in the old manual training
school buildings on the grounds of
the lockwood school.
In adding more rooms TO the Dool
building it is desired to so arrange
them as TO permit making one OF
them an assembly room, to be used
for vocational work among the
Mexican children.
: The manual training work Of the
schools under the present system of
school government is being handled
at the high school shops.
Some Of these additional rooms
are to be built Immediately, Mr..
Hubbell stated, sufficient funds for
the additions TO the Dool and Rock
wood schools being available from
the last budget, but additional ap-
preparations will need to be made to
the next budget in order to allow
for all necessary increases.
Need New Kindergarten
A kindergarten building Of much
larger capacity will have to he built
some time within the next year, Mr.
Hubbell stated.
The present Calexico school sys
TEN, grammar and high, has now a
lower tax rate than any other school
system in the Imperial Valley. The
high school alone is next to lowest
in the tax rate, Brawley being the
lowest. But Brawley has by far the
greater amount of money availahiC
because the assessed valuation OF
the Brawley district is 81 900, 000
against the $5,000,O00 of the Calex
leo district.
There are now 1860 pupils in the
grammar schools, and at least 20C
more on the waiting list, or else at
tending school at Mexicali.
Horo E1nofnI oo