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Publications of El Paso Public Schools, 1922, No. 1. 
 
 SURVEY 
 
 Of 
 
 THE CITY SCHOOLS 
 
 of 
 
 EL PASO, TEXAS 
 
 BY PAUL W. HORN 
 
 Superintendent of American Schools, Mexico City, 
 Ex-Superintendent of Schools, Houston, Texas; 
 Author of a Survey of the Schools of Port- 
 land, Oregon, and a Member of Com- 
 mission on Survey of State Schools 
 of Alabama. 
 
 PRINTED BY 
 
 THE DEPARTMENT OF PRINTING OF THE CITY SCHOOLS, 
 EL PASO, TEXAS 
 
Publications of El Paso Public Schools. 'lPi'2. No. 1 
 
 SURVEY 
 
 . Of 
 
 THE CITY SCHOOLS 
 
 of 
 
 EL PASO, TEXAS 
 
 BY PAUL W. HORN 
 i) 
 
 Superintendent of American Schools, Mexico Citv 
 Ex-Superintendent of Schools, Houston, Texas,' 
 Author of a Survey of the Schools of Port- 
 land, Oregon, and n Member of Com- 
 mission on Survey of State Schools 
 of Alabama. 
 
 PRINTED BY 
 
 THE DEPART MI \T OK PRINTING OK THE CITY SCHOOLS, 
 KI. PASO. TEXAS 
 
/.A 5 
 
 
 
 
 EDUCATION DEPT 
 
To THE HONORABLE CITY SCHOOL BOARD, 
 EL PASO, TEXAS. 
 
 LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: 
 
 I transmit to you herewith a report of the brief but comprehensive 
 survey of the City School System of El Paso, which I have made in 
 accordance with the invitation from your honorable body transmitted 
 by your Superintendent of Schools. 
 
 The letter of invitation was so framed as to convey to me the 
 impression that you desired a statement of the essential vital facts 
 concerning your school system rather than a technical analysis of the 
 situation. I gathered that you wished this statement to be made in 
 such simple terms as could be readily understood by the laymen in 
 educational affairs, rather than in the technical terms of the profession 
 of pedagogy. 
 
 With this suggestion I have endeavored to comply. I have 
 tried to present a report which can be used in helping to improve the 
 schools and conditions about them rather than one which will be adr 
 mired for the exhaustiveness of its investigations or the pedagogical 
 learning displayed in it. I have tried to write a report which will be 
 helpful rather than one which will be admired. 
 
 It may as well be stated frankly also that the subject in hand 
 has been approached in a sympathetic manner. It is assumed that 
 your honorable body is not so obviously unfair as to desire a report 
 on your school system which would include all the bad things which 
 might be said about it and exclude all the good things. A fair re- 
 port should include both. A school survey which degenerates into a 
 near effort at systematic fault finding cannot claim to be impartial. 
 
 You know in advance of any report that the average public school 
 teacher in El Paso, just as elsewhere in America, is a faithful, con- 
 scientious hard working individual. As a general rule she is just as 
 anxious to improve her work as the public is to have it improved. In 
 order to really understand her work it is necessary to have a large 
 amount of sympathy with it. Her work is a great deal more likely 
 to be helped out by one who approaches it in a spirit of sympathy than 
 by one who comes merely in search of faults. 
 
 In any discussion of the vital and essential points connected with 
 any school system the first question which naturally arises is as to 
 what these points are. They are more or less the same in any city 
 school systetm. While opinions may differ -slightly in regard to them 
 it may be generally agreed that the study of any school system is at 
 
 M240813 
 
least fajrly complete if it includes the essential points concerning the 
 following: 
 
 1. The city itself. Its needs, size, location, environment, people, racial 
 composition, wealth, industries. 
 
 2. The organization of the school system. 
 
 3. The school board. Method of selection, method of function. 
 
 4. School finances. 
 
 ."). School plant. Buildings, grounds, equipment. 
 
 6. Supervision. 
 
 7. The teaching staff. Preparation, experience, source of supply, num- 
 bers, appointment, methods of improvement, salaries, etc. 
 
 8. The course of study. 
 
 9. The class room product. 
 
 10. The numerous departments of regular school work. 
 
 11. Extension schools. 
 
 12. The wider use of the school plant. 
 
 13. Organized co-operation of the community with the schools, includ- 
 ing parent-teacher organizations, and other organizations. 
 
 14. Health work in the schools. 
 ]">. Compulsory education. 
 
 1(5. Records and reports. 
 
 Each one of these topics is discussed in some measure in this re- 
 port. They are followed by a statement of conclusions and a sum- 
 mary of recommendations. 
 
 While every one of the items above enumerated is of real import- 
 ance to any school system, it is nevertheless true that some of them 
 are more important than others. As a matter of fact there are about 
 eight really vital questions that can be asked about any school sys- 
 tem, and they may stated about as follows: 
 
 1. Is it so constructed and administered as to meet well the charac- 
 teristic needs of the community in which it is located? 
 
 2. Is the financial support adequate? 
 
 3. Are the buildings, grounds and equipment adequate in quantity and 
 modern and up-to-date in quality? 
 
 4. Does the supervisory force function in real helpfulness to the teach- 
 ing staff? 
 
 .">. Is the teaching staff well prepared? Is it selected and retained on 
 the sole basis of merit? And is it earnestly engaged in the study 
 and the solution of school problems? 
 
 (i. To what extent does the school enroll and retain and advance the 
 children whom it is designed to serve? 
 
 7. Is the class room product good? 
 
 5. What is the school doing to safeguard and improve the health of 
 the children and their teachers? 
 
 Most of the space in this report has been devoted to an attempt 
 to answer these eight vital questions. 
 
 In collecting the facts set forth in this report the following 
 ods are used: 
 
 1. Personal visits to 'nearly all of the school rooms of the -city 
 school work has been in progress. 
 
 (4) 
 
2. Personal inspection of the entire school property. 
 
 3. The use of the Ayres spelling scale in all the schools of the city 
 above the First Grade. 
 
 4. Personal inspection of at least one piece of written English from 
 every pupil in the city schools above the Kindergarten. 
 
 ."). Conferences with school board members, superintendents, super- 
 visors, janitors, patrons, city officials, members of co-operative or- 
 ganizations and oth.er representative citizens. 
 
 6. An inspection of the minutes of the meetings of the school board. 
 
 7. Inspection of every printed blank form in the school system. 
 
 s. Study of the school budget and the Superintendent's annual and 
 
 monthly reports. 
 
 9. Careful reading and study of the printed course of study in schools. 
 10. Study of the statistics of the various city school systems of Texas 
 filed in the office of the State Superintendent of Schools. 
 
 With this preliminary statement the following report is trans- 
 mitted to the Honorable School Board of El Paso, in the hope that it 
 may be of genuine constructive service to them in advancing the in- 
 terests of the public school children of the city of El Paso. 
 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 
 P. W. HORN, 
 
 (SUPERINTENDENT OF AMERICAN SCHOOLS IN CITY or MEXICO. 
 FORMERLY SUPERINTENDENT OF CITY SCHOOLS, HOUSTON, TEXAS.) 
 
 (5) 
 
The City School System of El Paso 
 
 1. THE CITY OF EL PASO. 
 
 The outstanding facts about the city of El Paso as far as they 
 have any bearing upon the city school system are about as follows: 
 
 According to the figures of the Federal Census of 1920 El Paso 
 had then a population of 77,560. 
 
 In 1910 it had 39,279. 
 
 The rate of growth of the city during those ten years was 
 therefore 98 per cent. During this time it grew more rapidly than 
 did any other of the larger cities in Texas. Only a few cities in the 
 entire United States grew more rapidly. It now ranks as fifth in size 
 among the cities of Texas. 
 
 Under these conditions it would be at best a matter of grave dif- 
 ficulty for the city to keep pace in its school facilities with its general 
 growth. Unless there are practically double the number of school 
 rooms in the city in 1920 that there were in 1910, the city has gone 
 backward in the matter of school facilities rather than forward. 
 
 In March, 1921, the state scholastic census enumerated 19,811 
 children of scholastic age. In the same month of 1920 there were 
 18,157. This increase of 1,654 children enumerated amounted to 
 practically ten per cent for the year. Unless the number of school 
 rooms during the year were increased by ten per cent, the city was 
 just that much worse off in 1921 from the standpoint of school build- 
 ings than it was in 1920. As a matter of fact the school session of 
 1921-22 opened with no more school rooms available than those with 
 which 1920-21 closed. 
 
 The entire list of property as rendered in the city of El Paso for 
 1921 was assessed at a valuation of $97,500,000.00 on a basis esti- 
 mated to be 70 per cent of its real value. Previous to this year the 
 basis of valuation had been 60 per cent. 
 
 The chief industrial plants of the city are extensive railroad shops 
 and smelters. 
 
 The chief industries by which the city is supported are foreign 
 and domestic commerce, transportation, mining, agriculture and the 
 raising of live stock. 
 
 El Paso is located in the extreme western portion of Texas, on 
 the Rio Grande River, within a stone's throw of Mexico, and quite 
 close to the state line of New Mexico. It is comparatively remote 
 
 (7) 
 
from other cities of considerable sixe and is destined to be the com- 
 mercial, industrial and educational center of a large amount of terri- 
 tory, including much of West Texas, Southwestern New Mexico and 
 Northern Mexico. 
 
 It is this location which gives it much of its commercial import- 
 ance, and it is the same location which defines its educational problem 
 and makes that problem complicated. 
 
 While no exact figures for the purpose are available it is esti- 
 mated that about 60 per cent of the population of El Paso is either 
 Mexican or of Mexican extraction. 
 
 The nearest approach to accurate information on the subject may 
 be found in the statement that on. December If), 1921, there were en- 
 rolled in the Mexican schools of the city in the elementary grades, .1,772 
 children, and at the same time there were 0,112 children enrolled in 
 the same grades in the American schools. It may be observed in 
 passing that while these races are not segregated by any order of the 
 school board they tend largely to segregate themselves on account of 
 the districts in which the children reside. 
 
 Fewer than two per cent of the people are negroes. The small- 
 ness of this percentage constitutes one decided difference between the 
 educational problem in El Paso and that in any other of the larger 
 cities in Texas. 
 
 The city is divided by the tracks of the Southern Pacific and Texas 
 Pacific railroads into two general districts, approximately equal in area 
 and not widely different in population. "North of the tracks" is the 
 district inhabited chiefly though not exclusively by native born Ameri- 
 cans. ."South' of the tracks" on the other hand is the district inhabited 
 almost exclusively by people of Mexican birth or extraction. 
 
 This distinction must be borne in mind by anyone who would 
 really understand the school problem of El Paso. Rightly or wrongly 
 the terms, "North of the tracks" and "South of the tracks" bob up 
 frequently in many discussions which one hears in El Paso with refer- 
 ence to the civic, social, religious, industrial or educational life of the 
 city. In the thinking of a great many people instead of there being 
 one city of El Paso there are actually two cities existing side by side, 
 with only the railroad tracks between, and yet varying greatly in their 
 needs, their taxable values and their racial traits and ideals. 
 
 Is it right or wrong for the administration of the school system 
 of El Paso to keep in its mind this idea of two different cities, "North 
 of the tracks" and "South of the tracks"? 
 
 One might hesitate to give a categorical answer to this question, 
 but the following qualified answer may be submitted without the 
 slightest hesitation: 
 
 ]. It is undeniably right and proper to keep this distinction in mind 
 so far as it pertains to the meeting of the different needs of the 
 two 'sections. Where great masses of children come to school with 
 
 (8) 
 
little or no ability to speak the English language and with scant 
 conception if any of American ideals, their needs are not the same 
 as those of children who have been reared in typical American homes 
 and have spoken the English language from their infancy. The 
 course of study and the methods of instruction ought by all means 
 to be adapted to the special needs of these children. It would be 
 well nish criminal for this not to be done. 
 
 2. It is on the other harid unqualifiedly wrong and improper tcnnake 
 this distinction In way of discrimination against' either group of 
 children, or by way of giving to either an inadequate opportunity 
 to secure an education of the kind best suited to its needs. 
 
 In other words differentiation between the two sections is alto- 
 gether right, but discrimination is altogether wrong. There ought to 
 be a difference in the type of education offered but none whatever in 
 its value or its effectiveness. 
 
 This distinction is not an easy one to hold in mind without con- 
 fusion and without prejudice. 
 
 The first half of the statement, namely that methods of instruc- 
 tion ought to be adapted to specific reeds will perhaps be accepted 
 without argument, whatever the difficulties may be in putting the 
 principle into intelligent practice. 
 
 On the other hand the second half of the statement, namely that 
 the Mexican children are entitled to an education just as much 
 adapted to their needs as that of the American children is to theirs, 
 and if need be costing just as much money, may possibly require some 
 argument in its support. The following propositions are therefore 
 submitted by way of argument: 
 
 1. The argument of a common humanity. 
 
 -. The fact that neither the Constitution of Texas nor the School 
 Laws of the State make any distinction between the children of 
 native birth and those born in other countries. As a matter of fact, 
 a case was quite recently passed upon by the Supreme Court of 
 Texas in which the holding was definitely made that a child of 
 foreign birth but residing in the State of Texas is entitled to free 
 school privileges in exactly the same manner as is a child born in 
 the State of Texas. 
 
 '.'>. The future of the city of El Paso depends upon the prosperity and 
 enlightenment of both its native born citizens and its citizens of 
 foreign birth. 
 
 4. The very location of El Paso gives it a place of international 
 importance. It therefore has international duties. The import- 
 ance of the establishment of the right kind of relations and feelings 
 between the two republics is a matter too obvious to admit of 
 denial. The school system of El Paso, probably more than that 
 of any other city in the United States, bears a part of the re- 
 sponsibiliy for building up the right kind of relationships between 
 this country and Mexico. 
 
 These considerations should make it clear that while it is per- 
 fectly right and proper for the education offered "South of the tracks" 
 
to be of a somewhat different kind from that offered "North of the 
 tracks/ it is altogether wrong and improper to refrain from giving to 
 either side an education as helpful and if need be as expensive as that 
 given on the other side. 
 
 It is difficult to see how a man can believe in foreign missionary 
 work or in Christianity or even in democracy or common humanity 
 and yet be unwilling to give to any group of children in his own city 
 a fair share of the money necessary to secure for them educational 
 facilities in accordance with their needs. 
 
 The foregoing statement of conditions as they are in the city of 
 El Paso would suggest that the educational problems confronting the 
 schools of the city may be classified in the following groups: 
 
 1. Practically all those general educational problems that must be 
 
 met by the schools in any other American city. 
 
 2. Those special problems which confront any American city growing 
 so rapidly that its population is practically doubled in ten years. 
 
 3. The very specific problem of providing for the needs of large num- 
 bers of Mexican children many of whom are unfamiliar with the 
 English language or with American ideals 
 
 1. The incidental but nevertheless highly important problems of help- 
 ing to foster the right kind of sentiment and relations between the 
 United States and our sister republic of Mexico. 
 
 To what extent the city is succeeding in solving these groups of 
 problems will occupy the attention of the remaining portion of this 
 report. 
 
 II. TO THE ORGANIZATION OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
 
 The Independent School District of the City of El Paso is sup- 
 posed to have been organized under the general school laws of the 
 State of Texas. 
 
 The anomalous feature of the situation lies in the fact that care- 
 ful search has failed to reveal any record of the data when such or- 
 ganization took place, or even any evidence that it ever took place at 
 all. Under the laws of the state the people of the city may hold an 
 election to determine whether or not the city will take charge of its 
 own school affairs and organize its own independent school district. 
 No one in El Paso recollects that such an election was ever held nor 
 does any record show that such was ever the case. 
 
 However, in 1894 a citizen of El Paso brought suit against the 
 city to enjoin against the collection of school taxes, setting up the al- 
 legation that the school district had never been actually created by 
 the vote of the people and hence that it had no legal existence and 
 no right to collect school taxes. 
 
 The Supreme Court of the State held that even though there was 
 no record that the independent district had actually been created, there 
 
 (10) 
 
was nevertheless no reason for assuming that it had never been created ; 
 and that the mere fact that it was then in existence and that it had 
 existed for some years and had been collecting school taxes was in it- 
 self an evidence that it had at some time been created. In other 
 words if you see a house you may not know who built it or when, but 
 the very fact that you see it shows that somebody must have built 
 it at some time. 
 
 This rather liberal and constructive holding on the part of the 
 Supreme Court left the school district of El Paso in existence, but left 
 it in a decidedly anomalous condition. In the words of one of the city 
 officials, it is ''neither flesh nor fowl nor good red herring." It is un- 
 like any other independent school district in Texas and no one knows 
 its exact relationship to the city government of El Paso. 
 
 Under ordinary conditions when a Texas city organizes its school 
 as an independent school district, the school district has an existence 
 practically distinct from that of the municipality. The boundaries of 
 the school district may or may not be the same as those of the city. 
 In Houston, for instance, the boundaries of the school district include 
 a large scope of territory formerly known as District 25, which has 
 been annexed for school purposes only and is not in any way a portion 
 of the city of Houston itself. 
 
 Such city independent school districts when once regularly es- 
 tablished, are subject to the general school laws of the State. They 
 are subject to the provisions of the city charter only when such pro- 
 visions of the city charter are not in conflict with the general school 
 law. Such districts have power to levy and collect their own taxes such 
 as may be voted by the people. The constitution formerly limited this 
 tax to 50 cents on the hundred dollars, but this limit has recently been 
 removed by a constitutional amendment. Such independent school 
 districts also have the right to vote their own bonds for school pur- 
 poses, subject to the constitution and the general school laws of the 
 State. The rate of taxation and the amount of bonded indebtedness 
 of the independent school district are separate and distinct from those 
 of the city and do not apply as against the amount of those allowed 
 to the city itself. 
 
 This situation does not exist in El Paso. The mayor signs all 
 checks providing for school expenditures. While this right has been 
 exercised in a very conservative manner it nevertheless could be exer- 
 cised in such a way as to cause much embarrassment both to city and 
 school districts. 
 
 Elections for school bonds are called by the city officials and not 
 by the school board. The city government names the amount of the 
 bond issue to be voted for. Quite recently the school board estimated 
 that it was necessary to receive $850,000 from a bond issue in 
 order to provide school grounds and buildings such as were needed. 
 The city government included only $500,000.00 for school purposes in 
 
 (11) 
 
the issrc of bonds to be voted upon. This reduction was apparently 
 not made from any unfriendliness to the school system but from the 
 fact that the entire amount asked for by the board could not be in- 
 cluded without going beyond the amount allowed by the charter to be 
 issued by the city. In other words the school bond issue was added 
 in with the bonds needed for water, paving, and other necessities of 
 the city. 
 
 It would seem to a layman in legal affairs that the independent 
 school district of El Paso either does exist or does not exist; and that, 
 if it exists at all, it exists with ail the rights and powers conferred 
 up;m it by the general school laws of the state, as well as with the 
 limitations provided by these laws. Be that as it may, it may be 
 frankly recognized that it is better for any relationship in life to be 
 :learly defined than for it to be left in such condition that it may be 
 misunderstood. It is therefore very respectfully suggested that steps 
 should be taken to make clear any features in the exact legal status 
 3f the independent school district of El Paso which are not now clear 
 Legal steps should be instituted to determine whether the schools of 
 El Paso really form an independent school district or whether they are 
 merely a branch of the city government. If the independent school 
 district is definitely held not to exist, steps should yet be taken to hold 
 an election to establish such a district. 
 
 On the other hand if it should be held that such a district does 
 exist it might yet be wise to amend the city charter by saying dis- 
 tinctly that the city schools are subject to the general school laws of 
 the State of Texas. 
 
 If the latter course were taken and it were definitely recognized 
 that the schools of El Paso are to be controlled by the independent 
 school district and not by the city it would work to the advantage of 
 both corporate bodies. The school district on one hand could call 
 its own elections and submit the amount of tax rate and of bond issue 
 to be voted upon by the people. It could determine whether it pre- 
 ferred to have its own assessor and collector or to make arrangements 
 for using those officials provided by the city. 
 
 On the other hand the board would no longer have a right to call 
 upon the city government to supplement the school fund by appro- 
 priations from the general revenue. It could no longer ask the city 
 government to pay for such bonds as might hereafter be voted by the 
 people for school buildings and in the name of the independent school 
 district. It would in this manner seem to be to the best interest of 
 all concerned that the relationship between the city schools and the 
 city government, and the exact legal status of the independent school 
 district of El Paso should be decided so clearly as to leave no possible 
 room for future misunderstanding. 
 
 (12) 
 
HI. THE SCHOOL BOARD. 
 
 The Civ School Board of El Paso is at present (under the some- 
 what anomalous conditions outlined in the preceding sections) elected 
 for a term of two years at an election held in April each year. Four 
 members are elected one year and three the next. No other officers 
 are voted upon at the election of school board members and the _elec- 
 tion is from the city at large. The board at present is constituted as 
 follows: 
 
 "1. Charles S. Ward, President. Newspaper man. First elected in 
 
 !!>20. Term exoires in April. 1922. 
 2. Mrs. H. E. Stevenson, Vice President. Housewife. First elected in 
 
 1921. Term expires in April, !!>-.">. 
 :>. K. Gordon Perry, Secretary. Dealer in automobiles. First elected 
 
 in 1921. Term expires in April, 1923. 
 I. \V. S. Clayton, grain and feed dealer. First elected in 191(5. Term 
 
 expires in April, 1922. 
 
 .">. Mrs. W. R. Brown. Housewife. First elected in 1921. Term ex- 
 pires in April, 1923. 
 (i. W. T. Power. Federal government employe. First elected in 1921. 
 
 Term expire? in April, 1923. 
 
 7. Dr. J. H. Gambrell. Physician. Appointed to fill a vacancy in 
 May, 1921. Term expires April, 1922. 
 
 A study of the forgoing shows that one member of the board has 
 been a member for practically five and one-half years, one member 
 has been connected with the board for a year and a half, while five 
 members have been connected with the schools for less than nine 
 months each. 
 
 It goes without saying that even with the best of intentions, with 
 the best of intelligence and the best of other qualifications a school 
 board is greatly handicapped if a majority of its members have had 
 less than a year's experience and familiarity with the school affairs of 
 the system. 
 
 If a new man is employed in any given position 'of importance it 
 is hardly to be expected that he will reach his state of greatest use- 
 fulness to the concern within the first year of his employment. 
 
 The task of the school board member is at best not an easy one. 
 It calls for a very high type of qualifications on the part of the one 
 serving the public in this capacity. To secure the very highest service 
 which a school board is capable of rendering requires some little ex- 
 perience. Any man or woman taking up a new line of work is likely, 
 to make some mistakes at the beginning of his term. School board 
 members when intelligent, honest and efficient ought to be continued 
 in office until they at least develop that familiarity with school affairs 
 which leads to the most efficient service. 
 
 It is needless to say that school affairs ought to be nonsectarian 
 without the intrusion of either sectarian or partisan issue. If such 
 terms as Democrat or Republican, Northern or Southern, Catholic or 
 
 (13) 
 
Anti-Catholic find their way into the administration of school affairs, 
 the schools necessarily suffer thereby. It makes no difference who it 
 is that introduces such terms, the effect is necessarily bad. If these 
 issues are once introduced it may become necessary for people holding 
 opposite views to make a fight concerning these issues. Such a con- 
 test whether it be of a defensive nature or offensive, is necessarily a 
 detriment to the school system. 
 
 It is not right and not American to seek the election of any teacher 
 because of the fact that she belongs to some special church or to some 
 special political party. Similarly it is not right and not American to 
 refuse to elect a teacher because of the church or the party to which, 
 she belongs. Church differences and party differences have absolutely 
 no place in the administration of school affairs. 
 
 It is a matter of common report that such issues have at certain 
 times in the past been introduced into the administrating of the El Paso 
 schools. If this is true it may as well be recognized that the general 
 effect on the schools cannot have been otherwise than harmful. This 
 statement is true without any regard to the question as to which party 
 may have been to blame for the injection of such issues. 
 
 It may also be accepted as a truism that for a successful adminis- 
 tration of public school affairs it is an absolute necessity that there be 
 harmony of action. If a board of seven members habitually lines up 
 on the basis of four against three or five against two the administra- 
 tion of school affairs is necessarily handicapped. If there is some minor 
 issue involved, it is ordinarily better to have all seven of the members 
 either on the one side or on the other side, instead of having them 
 divided. 
 
 As a matter of course wherever seven intelligent and honest men 
 are involved there will naturally be differences in opinion on specific 
 subjects among these. When a vote on any one subject is taken the 
 majority should be gracefully accepted and the same lineup should not 
 necessarily occur on the next question. 
 
 An inspection of the book in which the minutes of the school board 
 meetings are recorded shows that during 1919 the board had held 42 
 meetings; during 1920 28 meetings, and during 1.921, 24 meetings. 
 Unless in unusual cases it would seem that 42 meetings in one year 
 is a very large number. The holding of 24 meetings would be a sug- 
 gestion of improved conditions. During 1921 there were four meet- 
 ings in January and in June but none in October and December. 
 
 It is to the credit of the El Paso school board that the matter 
 of the appointment of teachers has been left very largely in the hands 
 of the superintendent. The general tendency seems to be, and very 
 properly so, to leave the strictly educational aspects of a public school 
 system largely in the superintendent's hands. 
 
 (14) 
 
IV. SCHOOL FINANCES 
 
 The schools of El Paso are supported in part by the per capita 
 apportionment from the State available school fund and partly by a 
 local tax for school purposes at the rate of 50c on $100. This was 
 the highest rate authorized by the constitution at the time it was levied 
 but since that time this limit has been removed. The voters of__El_ 
 Paso could if they see proper, vote a larger rate of taxation for the 
 support of their city schools. As a matter of fact no one familiar 
 with El Paso school affairs can fail to realize that if the schools are 
 to continue to function at their present rate of efficiency it will be 
 necessary for more money to be provided from some source. 
 
 In addition to increasing the tax rate, two other methods of ob- 
 taining more money are possible. One method which has been used 
 in times past is for the city government to supplement this school tax 
 by a special appropriation from general city revenues. The city gov- 
 ernment did this last year to such an extent that the actual money 
 furnished for school maintenance amounted to 59c on a hundred dol- 
 lars instead of 50c. 
 
 The third method available is that of increasing the percentage 
 of value at which the property in the city is rendered for taxation. 
 The total assessed valuation in 1921 was $97,000,000 on a basis of 
 70 per cent. Previously the basis of 60 per cent was used. It would, 
 of course, be possible in the future to make this higher still. 
 
 The question as to which of these three plans should be used in 
 the future would depend largely on whether the city of El Paso is held 
 to possess an independent school district organized under the general 
 laws of the State with the full powers which those laws confer upon 
 the said independent district. If such is held to be the case the 
 method of supplemental appropriation from the city gorvernment 
 would be an impossibility but either of the other two methods could 
 be used. The matter of an increase in the tax rate would have to be 
 passed upon by the people themselves at an election to be called by the 
 school board. 
 
 A comparative study of the taxable wealth, of several of the cities 
 of Texas for each pupil enumerated in the scholastic census of 1920-21 
 is here given as compiled from figures given out by the State Depart- 
 ment of Education. 
 
 City 
 
 Total Taxable 
 Wealth 
 
 Scholastic 
 Enrollment 
 
 Taxable Wealth 
 for Each Pupil 
 Enumerated in 
 Census 
 
 Dallas 
 
 $175,379,475 00 
 
 33,000 
 
 555,315 00 
 
 San Antonio 
 Galveston 
 El Paso 
 
 150,472,980.00 
 53,662,905.00 
 83,000,000 00 
 
 33,219 
 
 8,955 
 18,157 
 
 4,529.00 
 
 5,966.00 
 4,570.00 
 
 
 
 
 
From this comparison it will be seen that El Paso has slightly 
 more wealth to depend upon for taxation for the education of each 
 school child on her census roll than has San Antonio, having $4.570 
 for that purpose while San Antonio has $4,529. On the other hand 
 HI Paso has smaller wealth to depend upon for each pupil than has 
 Dallas with $5,315 or Galveston with $5,960. It therefore follows that 
 if El Paso expects to do as much for her children as can be done by 
 either Dallas or Galveston, it will be necessary for her either to have 
 a higher tax rate or a higher rate for the rendition of property than 
 those of other cities. 
 
 The following figures also compiled from the reports of the State 
 Department of Education show what certain cities of Texas spent 
 in the school year 1920-21 for the maintenance of the schools for each 
 pupil actually enrolled. 
 
 City 
 
 Total Cost of 
 Maintenance of 
 Schools 
 
 Total 
 Enrollment 
 in School 
 
 Maintenance 
 for Each Pupil 
 Enrolled 
 
 Dallas 
 
 $2,007,271.00 
 
 28,647 
 
 S70.00 
 
 San Antonio 
 
 1,867,698.00 
 
 27,547 
 
 67jOO 
 
 Houston ... 
 Galveston 
 
 1,751,048.00 
 321,630.00 
 
 25,944 
 
 6,128 
 
 (57.00 
 53.00 
 
 El Paso.... 
 
 (594,283.00 
 
 14,116 
 
 49.00 
 
 From this it will be seen that El Paso last year expended con- 
 siderably less upon each pupil actually enrolled in her schools than 
 did other representative cities in Texas. 
 
 The schedule of teachers' salaries now in use in the city schools 
 of El Paso is fairly good although it is not by any means the best in 
 the State of Texas. In actual fact it is not so good as it seems to 
 be on first perusal. The minimum paid teachers regularly employed 
 in the elementary grades is $1,000 per year. This is raised by annual 
 increases of $50 for ten years until a maximum of $1,500 is reached. 
 
 This may be increased by summer work, by training to the ex- 
 tent of more than two years above the high school, and by various 
 other points which count to the extent of $50 each per year. How- 
 ever, not more than four of these additional points can be counted 
 as additions to the salary. Accordingly there is a theoretical maxi- 
 mum of SI. TOO per year for grade teachers. However, a careful study 
 of the payroll brought out the fact that only one grade teacher was 
 receiving $1.700 a year while three were receiving $1,650 and seven 
 SI .600. To all practical intents and purposes during the current 
 school year the maximum salary for teachers in the elementary schools 
 was $1.500 a year. The corresponding maximum in Dallas was $1,800 
 and in Houston $1,700 reached in seven yearly increases of $100 each. 
 
The schedule is $100 per year higher for teaching the work of the 
 first year in the high school and $200 per year higher for teaching 
 in the high school above the first year. It is difficult to see why this 
 d'stinction should be made between work in the first year of the high 
 school and that of other years. Headship of a department carries 
 with it an increase of $100 or $200 a year. 
 
 "Teachers of special subjects in the high school" are not elected 
 on a specific salary schedule;' 
 
 The maximum salary for principals of elementary schools during 
 the year 1921-22 was $2,600, and was received by each of two 
 principals. 
 
 At one time several years ago salaries received by teachers in the 
 El Paso schools were the highest paid in the State. This is not the 
 case today in spite of the fact that El Paso has raised salaries recently. 
 According to the report of the City Superintendent of Schools the aver- 
 a~e salary paid El Paso grade teachers was $800 in 1919, $1,000 in 
 1920 and in 1921-22 was $1,200 plus a bonus of $150. This record 
 of progress creditable though it was did not quite keep pace with the 
 progress made by other cities in the State. Accordingly El Paso ac- 
 tually pushing ahead in a very creditable manner has fallen back rela- 
 tively among the other cities of the State in the matter of teachers' 
 salaries. 
 
 Good teachers should be paid as good salaries as can possibly 
 be secured for them. It is to the interest of a city to pay her teach- 
 ers such salaries as will hold a reasonable number of the best of them 
 from year to year. In the El Paso schools this year one-fourth of all 
 the teachers were not in the system last year. Perhaps the fact that 
 s:)me other cities in Texas have been making a bid and offering finan- 
 cial inducements for the best teachers of El Paso has had something 
 to do with the large number of changes. 
 
 The business office of the El Paso schools seems to be functioning 
 well, though there is a considerable amount of red tape connected with 
 it and it would seem that a better distribution of departments might 
 be made in such manner as to result in a more definite location of re- 
 sponsibility. In any large system of city schools there are the fol- 
 lowing subdivisions under the business department: 
 
 The Budget. 
 
 The Purchasing. 
 
 The Repairs. 
 
 The Supplies. 
 
 The Free Text Books. 
 
 The Accounting. 
 
 (17) 
 
Ordinarily it is considered best to have all these items under the 
 general management of some one man who is not connected with the 
 educational department of the schools but who works directly under 
 the superintendent, is responsible to him and reports to him. 
 
 If the system is large enough to employ assistants to the busi- 
 ness representative they ordinarily place each in charge of one of the 
 subdivisions outlined. 
 
 In the El Paso schools, although the work seems to be efficiently 
 done there is nevertheless a considerable amount of overlapping of 
 these subdivisions, and the entire department overlaps in some measure 
 the educational department of the schools. 
 
 For instance it is required that the Superintendent of Schools 
 should sign every order issued for a purchase of any kind by the El 
 Paso schools. The assistant superintendent attends to most of the de- 
 tails of making the purchases. 
 
 It is contrary to the usual custom in cities for the Superintendent 
 of Schools to be called upon for his signature in making minor pur- 
 chases. If he gives much time to this work it detracts from the time 
 he should give to the instructional side of the schools; and if he gives 
 little time to it, the result must be that he frequently signs orders for 
 minor purchases of which he knows little or nothing. 
 
 At present there are two or three people connected with the busi- 
 ness office anyone of whom may under certain conditions order things 
 purchased. It would seem to be a definite improvement if there were 
 only one person in the school system who was allowed to make any 
 purchase whatever and if he were required to send a written order for 
 every purchase, and if no bills were paid except when presented ac- 
 companied by this written order. It would also allow more time for 
 the supervision of instruction if these duties were not laid upon anyone 
 who is engaged in the supervision of education. 
 
 At present the business department of the schools is really in the 
 hands of five people, as follows: 
 
 The superintendent and assistant superintendent who sign orders 
 for purchases and attend to the details of making them. The assistant 
 superintendent also signs all checks. 
 
 The supervisor of buildings who manages the janitors, supervises 
 the repairs, and makes purchases for his own particular department. 
 
 The keeper of supplies who has charge of the free text books and 
 the supplies of various kinds and makes certain of the purchases. 
 
 The accountant who keeps all the books, audits all the bills, pre- 
 pares them for payment, makes vouchers for them and attends to the 
 clerical details of the office. 
 
 It would seem best for the superintendent and assistant superin- 
 tendent to be relieved of the details with the business office except 
 
 (18) 
 
those of preparing the annual budget. Then the one of the other three 
 persons whom the board considers most competent could be appointed 
 as the head of the business department of the schools and charged with 
 the responsibility of making all the purchases, signing all the checks 
 and approving all bills. 
 
 There is no evidence whatever of any mismanagement or of inac- 
 curacy connected with the business department of the El Paso schools. 
 However, a redistribution of the work as above outlined would give 
 more time for the supervision of instruction, would more definitely 
 locate the financial responsibility and would be more nearly in accord- 
 ance with the custom in other progressive school systems. 
 
 V. THE SCHOOL PLANT, INCLUDING BUILDINGS, 
 GROUNDS AND EQUIPMENT 
 
 El Paso has sixteen school buildings including one high school 
 building and fifteen elementary school buildings for white children and 
 one school building for colored schildren. 
 
 The total value of all the school property including buildings, 
 grounds and equipment is given at $1,895,340. 
 
 The entire citizenship of El Paso is vitally interested in knowing 
 whether these buildings and grounds and this equipment are adequate 
 to meet the educational needs of their children. 
 
 The question of adequacy of school grounds depends wholly upon 
 what you intend to do with those grounds. If you consider them 
 merely as breathing grounds where the children may be allowed to 
 stand and breathe, then the school grounds of El Paso are adequate. 
 And indeed this would be about the only plea upon which some of them 
 could possibly be claimed adequate. They afford standing room for 
 the children but little more. 
 
 The high school grounds are in a class to themselves. The stadium 
 affords a magnificent opportunity for large throngs of people to watch 
 the athletic contests of comparatively small groups. The high school 
 grounds are greatly superior to those of the elementary schools. 
 
 Measured by the commonly accepted standard of school grounds 
 to be used as playgrounds and recreational centers, there is not one 
 elementary school in El Paso where the grounds are really adequate. 
 Measured by the most elementary standards of common use very few 
 of these could by any courtesy be considered as adequate. 
 
 Of the fourteen elementary schools for white children not one of 
 them has grounds exceeding one block. Five of them have grounds 
 covering one block and the other nine range from three-fourths of a 
 block to one-fourth. 
 
 (19) 
 
This is not in accordance with the modern idea as to the proper 
 size for school grounds. As one illustration, in Houston there are 
 numerous school sites ranging in size from three acres to seven and a 
 half acres. For a large modern school a site of one city block is 
 considered altogether too small. 
 
 One of the worst cases of overcrowded school grounds is that of 
 the Aoy School, where more than 2.000 children have enrolled during 
 the current school year. The grounds consist of one city block, and 
 this has been almost entirely covered by the buildings. There is prac- 
 tically no playground for that great throng of children. 
 
 The Alamo School with over a thousand children has only a quar- 
 ter of a block. The Franklin School with (500 has playgrounds of the 
 same size. 
 
 The smallness of the school grounds is one of those causes which 
 have almost eliminated the playground feature from the city schools 
 of our country. 
 
 Of the buildings themselves the High School is by far the best and 
 most modern. With building, grounds and equipment the High School 
 is easily valued at 600,000 and easily represents one-third of the 
 value of the entire school property of the city of El Paso. It is prac- 
 tically fireproof, has a good auditorium, and is well provided with shops, 
 laboratories, gymnasiums, class rooms and all the general equipment 
 of a good modern high school. 
 
 The stadium on the High School grounds for use in connection 
 with athletic events, is the one outstanding feature of school equip- 
 ment in El Paso. It is one feature that causes the El Paso schools 
 to be known and remembered over a large portion of America. It is 
 said that 10.000 people can be seated in it. The stadium receives a 
 considerable amount of use each year. The circular floor affords 
 ample space as a drill ground for the high school pupils in their mili- 
 tary exercises. 
 
 Altogether the High School plant of El Paso is such as would be 
 (-editable in a city of a million inhabitants so far as it goes. 
 
 For the simple fact must be recognized that even this fine plant is 
 not large enough to meet the needs of the high school pupils in a grow- 
 ing modern city such as El Paso is. The building was designed to 
 accommodate 1.200 pupils and the present enrollment is about 1,700. 
 This indicates even here a -crowded condition which is at the expense 
 of the best interests of the children enrolled. 
 
 The simple fact is that El Paso even now needs greater high school 
 facilities and sooner or later must have them. 
 
 It may be of interest to point out that San Antonio now has two 
 large buildings devoted entirely to high school purposes and Dallas 
 has three. Houston has two senior high schools and four junior high 
 
 (20) 
 
schools. El Paso is more than half the size of any one of these three 
 cities. It is well to keep in mind that very soon it will be absolutely 
 necessary for her to have more than one high school building. Refer- 
 will b: made later on in this report to the matter of junior higL 
 schools. 
 
 The reason that El Paso school people have not said more about 
 their high school need is that these needs are completely overshadowed 
 by the needs of the elementary schools. 
 
 If the high school plant is scarcely adequate the elementary school 
 plant is grossly inadequate. If any one has the slightest doubt of this 
 fact, the doubt can be instantly dispelled by the following fact: 
 
 One-third of all the children attending the elementary -schools of 
 El Paso are on part-time attendance. 
 
 This is because there is not room in the elementary schools of the 
 city to accommodate all the children at the same time. 
 
 These part-time classes range from the beginners to the third 
 grade. 
 
 This part-time system is the one great crying evil of the El Paso 
 schools. Other evils or difficulties sink into insignificance in compari- 
 son with it. 
 
 There are 128 classes on part-time attendance. There are 365 
 teachers in the elementary schools in all. This means that slightly 
 more than ore-third of the teachers in the elementary schools of El 
 Paso are not given the opportunity to do their full work, and slightly 
 more than one-third of the children from these schools are deprived of 
 a considerable portion of their opportunity to secure an education. 
 
 These 12S classes do not include the kindergarten children, who 
 quite properly attend school also for less than a full day. The dis- 
 tribution of these 128 classes of part-time pupils above the kinder- 
 garten age, as furnished in figures obtained from the office of the City 
 Superintendent of Schools is as follows: 
 
 SOUTH OF THE TRACKS MEXICAN DISTRICT 
 
 Aoy 
 
 Alamo 
 
 Beall 
 
 Franklin 
 
 San Jacinto. 
 
 Number 
 
 Part-Time 
 
 Classes 
 
 34 
 
 IS 
 1C. 
 (i 
 
 Total 80 
 
 (21) 
 
NORTH OF THE TRACKS AMERICAN DISTRICT 
 
 School 
 
 Classes 
 Alta Vista 
 
 Number 
 Part-Tiine 
 
 18 
 
 BaUey 
 
 Grandview 
 
 Highland Park 6 
 
 Lamar 
 
 Morehead 
 
 Manhattan 
 
 Sunset 2 
 
 Vilas 2 
 
 Total - -is 
 
 Take as the worst case of all the Aoy School. There were in De- 
 cember slightly more than 2,000 children attending. The school 
 grounds consist of one city block most of which is covered with build- 
 ings. There 707 children in the Low First and High First grade- 
 more than one-third of the total number in that school. These chil- 
 dren are in urgent need of learning to speak English, and it takes time 
 to learn any language. The children clamor for this privilege and 
 yet thirty-four out of the fifty-one classes at this school are unable to 
 attend for more than one-half of the school day. 
 
 It may be observed in passing that there are limits to the num- 
 bers of small children who can properly be handled as a single ad- 
 ministrative unit even when facilities are adequate and conditions 
 favorable. Many reasons could be given why it is not advisable that 
 '2,000 elementary school children should be crowded together in one 
 building. This is sometimes necessary in congested districts in large 
 cities such as New York or Chicago, but under normal conditions it 
 is not done and should not be done. In even the largest cities of the 
 South it is doubtful if another school building could be found where 
 as many small children are collected as at Aoy. 
 
 At the Alta Vista School, attended by 1,126, mostly Americans, 
 there are 18 classes on part-time attendance. 
 
 The school staff has made heroic efforts to overcome these handi- 
 caps. Every teacher in the grades puts in at least five hours with 
 classes each day. Many of the teachers whose children attend for a 
 half day give their time to helping with backward pupils the other 
 half day. It is my judgment that the school authorities have done 
 everything that can be done in the impossible task of making one hour 
 do the work of two hours. They have employed numerous ingenious 
 devices. Some of these result in quite unusual and somewhat bizarre 
 combinations of hours for certain school children. For instance, I 
 found one case where the children attend from 10 to 12:30 and from 
 
 (22) 
 
3 to 4. If the school system of El Paso had possessed as little elas- 
 ticity and as much rigid inflexibility as many school systems, it would 
 have cracked under the strain long ago. 
 
 And yet there is a limit to what human ingenuity can do. You 
 cannot use machinery with souls as you can with material objects. 
 You can easily find a piece of machinery which will enable one frail 
 woman to lift a ton of ten tons; but no device ever invented will 
 enable one woman to properly teach TOO little children. 
 
 Nor will any device in the world enable one to hurry the orderly 
 process of nature without detriment to the organism involved. You 
 may by hot house processes force a rose to bloom in half the time it 
 would naturally take; but it is hard on the rose. 
 
 No device of human ingenuity can cause a boy to digest his food 
 in one hour if the time he would naturally take is two hours. And no 
 school teacher or superintendent or board can cause him to learn and 
 digest in half a day all that he could in an entire day. 
 
 The simple fact about it is that English speaking children coming 
 from good American homes may in the first half of their first year in 
 school get along without any serious detriment if they attend school 
 under a skillful teacher for approximately half of the customary school 
 day. Above the low first year however, such curtailing of school hours 
 is done at the serious disadvantage of the child. 
 
 With Mexican children or with any other children, who know little 
 or nothing of the English language a full day is needed even in the 
 low first grade. 
 
 The process of learning English is largely a process of absorption, 
 particularly in the case of a young child; and absorption is a process 
 that requires time. 
 
 These facts are matters of common knowledge among school peo- 
 ple the world over. They are founded upon the laws of nature and 
 neither El Paso nor any other community can hope to invade the laws 
 of nature. 
 
 The plan of school administration known as the Gary Plan has 
 many excellent features. It is a plan that was especially devised to 
 meet conditions as they existed in the schools of Gary, Indiana. Its 
 special adaptability to conditions existing there should be an indica- 
 tion that it would not be adapted to meet the needs of cities where 
 conditions are radically different from those in Gary; just as the fact 
 that a key will readily unlock one front door would be a strong indi- 
 cation that it will not unlock another front door where the lock is alto- 
 gether different. 
 
 The essence of the Gary Plan is that it is founded upon what is 
 known as the Study-work-play program. It presupposes a large audi- 
 torium at each school building and ample school grounds. Fewer than 
 half of the elementary school buildings in El Paso have any audi- 
 toriums at all and most of those they have are small. From the point 
 
 (If) 
 
of v.'ew of the Gary Plan, not one of these schools has ample play- 
 grounds and most of them have no playground to speak of at all. For 
 these reasons the use of the Gary Plan in the El Paso schools is under 
 present conditions an impossibility even if it were generally agreed 
 upon as a desirability. 
 
 Furthermore even the best friends of the Gary Plan are unwilling 
 for it to be looked upon simply as a money saver. It may in general 
 be admitted in school work as in other business, any plan which un- 
 dertakes to make one dollar do the work of two, or to make half a 
 loaf of bread do the work of a whole loaf is more or less on the order 
 of get-rich-quick schemes generally, and is quite likely to end in dis- 
 appointment if not in disaster. 
 
 Some recent tests given by the assistant superintendent of the 
 schools to all the third grade children in the city proved conclusively 
 that those third grade children who are now on part-time attendance 
 or have been in preceding grades, are decidedly weaker in their general 
 school work than are those children who have had the advantage of 
 a full day's schooling each day. This test confirmed what an ex- 
 perienced school man would very strongly have surmised even if the 
 test had never been given. 
 
 So long as one-third of all the children in the elementary schools 
 of El Paso are unavoidably on half-day attendance no one can seriously 
 contend that the elementary school buildings of the city are adequate 
 in number or in size. 
 
 The report of Superintendent R. J. Tighe for 1914-15 shows that 
 during that year the total net enrollment in the El Paso schools was 
 (i,7()l. During the current school year of 1921-22 the enrollment will 
 be double that amount. During the intervening seven years the new 
 high school building has been built and occupied and almost outgrown. 
 In the same time very little has been done for the elementary schools. 
 The only out-and-out new building that has been erected for elemen- 
 tary school purposes has been the Manhattan. The new Franklin with 
 its twelve rooms has 'displaced seven old rooms. Some fourteen rooms 
 have been added to Real! and seven to Aoy, displacing a number of 
 older ones. One new building has been annexed to the city, serving 
 mainly the territory annexed with it. These are practically all the ad- 
 ditions that have been made during the seven years in which the school 
 population has been doubling. 
 
 In other words the city has been growing rapidly and has been so 
 busy with other things that it has forgotten to keep up its school build- 
 ing program. The time has come when radical measures must be 
 taken to make up for this past neglect. 
 
 Furthermore, it may as well be recognized that even the $500,000 
 bond issue for school purposes voted by the people on December 27, 
 will not put the elementary schools in the condition in which they 
 
 (24) 
 
ought to be. It will, of course, be possible to build several new schools 
 with this amount, but when one considers the purchase of sites, the 
 cost of building and of equipment, it becomes evident that this money 
 will not go very far, though it will help greatly. It is a great pity that 
 the entire $850,000 originally asked for by the board could not have 
 been secured for the children. 
 
 So much for the question of the adequacy of the school buildings 
 of El Paso so far as pertains to -mere numbers and size. When it comes 
 to the matter of quality it may be frankly stated that only three of 
 them could reasonably be classed as up-to-date buildings of fireproof 
 construction and of conformity to best modern standards. These three 
 are the High School, the Manhattan School and the Alta Vista School. 
 
 Such buildings as the Bailey and Morehead were creditable build- 
 ings in the city when they were erected but they have well nigh out- 
 lived their usefulness. In many cities such buildings are being torn 
 down to give place to modern fireproof structures with larger grounds, 
 auditoriums and other appurtenances of first class schools. A few well 
 selected fires in some of the school buildings, with good insurance, would 
 be to the city a blessing in a rather thin disguise. 
 
 Most of the school rooms, though not all, seem to be as nearly 
 well lighted and ventilated as the date and style of their construction 
 would allow. At Beall School there are a number of rooms where the. 
 windows are so frosted as to make the lighting painfully poor. This 
 frosting should be removed from the upper part of the window sash. 
 At the same building there is one annex where the entrance to the boys' 
 toilets and the girls' toilets are immediately adjacent. This also 
 should be corrected at. once. At the Grandview recently acquired by 
 annexation to the city, most of the rooms have but one door leading 
 into the hallway and that so situated that in case of fire there would 
 be serious danger. This also should be remedied at once. 
 
 In general the buildings impress a visitor as being about as well 
 cared for as such buildings can be under the circumstances. The toilet 
 rooms in the main are clean; but in dark places and with old fixtures 
 and with old crowded conditions it is sometimes difficult to keep them 
 from having foul odors. Principals and janitors alike however seem 
 alive to the necessity of keeping them as clean a^. the circumstances 
 would permit. 
 
 It is not an uncommon thing to see groups of little children sitting 
 in. long dark hallways for purposes of recreation, and able to have 
 this space for only a portion of the school day on account of crowded 
 conditions. 
 
 In regard to the matter of equipment it may be stated that the 
 new schools of El Paso are for the most part well equipped while the 
 older ones for the most part are not. Maps and globes seem to be 
 fairly plentiful. Even the older desks are for the most part fairly well 
 cared for. The equipment in Domestic Science in some of the older 
 
centers is evidently old but the newer equipment is modern. The 
 chemical and physical laboratories and the printing shop at the High 
 School building seem well equipped. 
 
 So far as was observed all the primary rooms of the city are 
 equipped with rigid school desks, non-adjustable, fastened to the floor. 
 In many modern schools elsewhere the primary grades are equipped 
 with tables and chairs not unlike those used in the kindergarten. 
 These cost less than the rigid desk and in addition have the merit of 
 allowing greater freedom of movement and posture on the part of the 
 children. A few rooms in the elementary schools are equipped with 
 movable Moulthrop Desk Chairs, and in some instances the teachers 
 express themselves as preferring the rigid desks. 
 
 It may in general be observed that the tendency in modern schools 
 is to do away with the rigid desk fastened to the floor, as rapidly as 
 possible, and substitute as the occasion may allow seats that are' 
 movable, in sizes sufficiently, varied to make it possible to furnish each 
 child with a seat suited to him. 
 
 VI. SUPERVISION 
 
 The supervisory staff in the El Paso schools consists of the super- 
 intendent, one assistant superintendent and one supervisor for each of 
 the following: Intermediate grades, primary grades, music, penman- 
 ship, drawing, domestic science, manual training. 
 
 The assistant superintendent gives a considerable portion of his 
 time to acting as purchasing agent, but also comes in touch with the 
 intermediate grades and the high school. The primary supervisor has 
 charge of the work in the first and second grades only. In many cities 
 the primary department includes the third grade also. The supervisor 
 of manual training has the direction of all the work in his department 
 including that of the high school and the elementary grades, but the 
 supervisors of music, penmanship, drawing and domestic science have 
 under their direction only that portion of their special work which 
 lies below the high school. The supervisor of domestic science teaches 
 that work in the elementary schools for half of the day and devotes 
 the other half to the supervision of that work in the grades. 
 
 It would seem preferable for competent supervisors of these spe- 
 cial subjects to have at least a general oversight of the work through- 
 out the schools, including the high school. This would at any rate 
 make it more likely that the high school work in these subjects would 
 be properly correlated with that of the grades below. It would also 
 tend to locate the responsibility for the effectiveness of the work in 
 these subjects throughout the school system. 
 
 The supervisors are using the customary methods for helping the 
 teachers such as outlining the work, having special conferences with 
 
 (26) 
 
teachers as their needs may suggest and holding meetings of the teach- 
 ers in their various departments. 
 
 An effort is made to have all meetings for the helping of teachers 
 held on the same day. This is one specified Saturday morning of each 
 school month. On that occasion the general institute is held, which 
 includes the announcements and the routine business brought up by 
 the superintendent and also as a general rule an address by some 
 speaker from outside the school system. 
 
 On the same day it is expected that the various grade and de- 
 partmental meetings are to be held. The teachers in the high school 
 departments meet with the heads of the departments presiding. The 
 primary teachers hold their meetings by grades and the intermediate 
 teachers hold theirs by departments. The special supervisors also hold 
 their meetings on this day. 
 
 This arrangement is a good one in some respects particularly in 
 that it economizes the time which the teacher gives to these meetings. 
 However, it has its marked disadvantages. One of these is that it is 
 exceedingly difficult to bring into one 'half day all of the instruction 
 and inspiration which a teacher should receive from the supervisory 
 staff during the month. Another one is that where several grades or 
 departments are meeting at the same hour, the supervisor cannot get 
 in touch with all of them except by dividing time and giving very little 
 time to any. For instance if the first and second grade teachers meet 
 at the same hour but in different rooms, the primary supervisor cannot 
 meet with both except by dividing time. 
 
 As a matter of fact it sometimes happens that the institute takes 
 so much of the Saturday morning that the departmental meetings 
 either cannot be held or can be held only with a reduced time allow- 
 ance. In this Case it is sometimes necessary to call special meetings 
 of these grades or departments for other days. It might possibly be 
 wiser to make this arrangement to begin with, publishing the dates in 
 advance in the annual report so that due notice would be given. " This 
 would at any rate make it possible for the supervisors to give more 
 time to helping their various groups of teachers. 
 
 In the department of penmanship, a stimulus to the teachers is 
 given by the fact that a certain diploma in penmanship entitles the 
 teacher to an additional increase of $50 per year in salary. A con- 
 siderable group of teachers is meeting voluntarily each week and work- 
 ing to obtain these diplomas. This arrangement is tending to secure 
 increased efficiency in penmanship. If some similar plan could be 
 worked out in other departments the results might be worth while. 
 
 These general teachers meetings are supplemented by faculty 
 meetings of the various buildings. At the high school there is a faculty 
 meeting held one afternoon each week. At these meetings subjects 
 are discussed which pertain to the special work of the building. 
 
 (27) 
 
Numerous teachers of the El Paso schools were privately asked 
 as to whether they enjoyed teachers' meetings and most of them gave 
 the customary reply, ramely: "I enjoy them when I feel that I get 
 any good out of them." This is the usual attitude of good teachers. 
 It is a sad truth that many teachers' meetings are of such a nature 
 that those who attend feel that they derive little if any benefit. On 
 the other hand it is an important truth that a really live helpful teach- 
 ers' meeting furnishes a most important means for securing better 
 school work. 
 
 In addition to holding meetings the supervisors make as many 
 visits to the various school rooms as time will allow. They also hold 
 conferences with individual teachers when it seems necessary. It 
 would perhaps be an improvement if they held regular office hours on 
 stated days and if these hours were published so that any teacher who 
 felt the need of help would know exactly when and where the super- 
 visor could be found. 
 
 The institute is intended for the study of general school problems 
 while the grade or department meeting is intended for the study of the 
 specific problems of the individual teacher. The institute should in- 
 clude, if possible, some inspiring address each month to the entire 
 body of teachers. It should also include, if practicable, the study of 
 some general educational problems by the teachers organized into 
 groups or study circles. Progress in educational work demands con- 
 tinuous study both of general principles and of specific applications. 
 
 VII. THE TEACHING STAFF 
 
 The teaching staff in the El Paso schools today consists of .'H>5 
 teachers in the grades and 7fi in the high school making 441 in all. 
 In addition to these there is one high school principal and 15 principals 
 of elementary schools. 
 
 All these are white except one principal and, eight teachers in the 
 Douglass School for colored children. 
 
 / Of the :"('") grade teachers all are women except seven men in the 
 
 manual training department. 
 
 Of the 76 High School teachers there are fiO women and 16 men. 
 The percentage of men in the High School is not so high as is the 
 Ccise of many of the best city high schools. It is generally believed 
 that since the high school is intended to serve both boys and girls and 
 since these sexes are in the world in approximately equal proportions, 
 there should be in our high school faculties competent men and com- 
 petent women in aoproximately equal numbers. 
 
 Of the sixteen principals three are men and thirteen are women. 
 The three men are the principal of the High School, the principal of the 
 Manhattan School and the principal of the colored school. 
 
 (28) 
 
There can be no doubt that generally speaking there are certain 
 advantages about women as principals of schools and certain ad- 
 vantages with men. The first effort should of course be to secure the 
 most competent people to fill any position that may be opened, regard- 
 less of sex. Under ideal conditions however, there would be in a school 
 system both men and women as principals of the various schools, and 
 in approximately equal numbers. It does not make for the best if 
 either sex has practically a monopoly. 
 
 Undoubtedly the reason why there are fewer men than women as 
 hirrh school teachers and as principals in the elementary schools is the 
 
 m of finance. A given sum. such for instance as $2,500 per year, 
 will ordinarily secure services of a higher grade when paid to a woman 
 th'in when paid to a man. -This is simply in accordance with the law 
 of s "pply and demand. However, it is a well recognized fact that the 
 education of boys and girls requires the services of both .men and 
 women, and that neither sex can have a monopoly without' some danger 
 tr, the best interests of the children. 
 
 The teachers of the El Paso schools as a whole impress a visitor 
 as being well qualified, faithful and industrious. They are as a whole 
 a body of people such as reflects credit upon the city in which they live. 
 
 Mention has already been made of the fact that 142 teachers now 
 employed in the schools were not employed last year. It is impossible 
 to make this number of changes in one year without the schools suf- 
 fering to some extent. Some mistakes are bound to occur and even 
 at best a corps of teachers cannot render the highest service when more 
 than a third of them are new to the system. 
 
 Of the number mentioned 38 are filling additional positions re- 
 quired by the increased enrollment over last year. The other 104 
 represent vacancies in last year's faculty. 
 
 There has been a steady rise in the requirements made as to the 
 preparation of teachers. At present teachers for the regular academic 
 classes in the high schools are required to possess a decree from some 
 college or rniversity of recognized standing. The rules require that 
 teachers in the grades shall have at least two years of training beyond 
 that of graduating from a recognized high school. This of course 
 means as a general rule at least two years of normal school training. 
 
 However, it may be noticed that the same rules provide that if a 
 teacher is elected to a place in the grades without these two years of 
 additional training her salary will be less than that of a teacher who 
 has th : s training. If this applies merely to teachers already elected, 
 it of course hc.s no bearing upon new elections. As a matter of fact 
 the El Paso schools have reached that position of excellence and of 
 financial backing where they can afford to insist upon electing no new 
 teachers who fall short of the required training. 
 
In the case of teachers now in the schools who have demonstrated 
 their fitness and ability to do their work well, no one should be dis- 
 turbed in her position on account of deficiency in original training. On 
 the other hand it should be a rigid rule in the future that no teacher 
 shall be elected to a place in the grades who has less than a first grade 
 certificate or less than two years of training in normal school or col- 
 lege; and that no teacher shall be elected to a high school position who 
 has not had a college degree and a teacher's certificate of permanent 
 rank. These suggestions are in accordance with the regulations al- 
 ready printed by the city. 
 
 The figures compiled in the report made by the El Paso schools 
 to the State Department of Education for the year 1920-21 give the 
 following information concerning the certification of teachers in the 
 El Paso schools: 
 
 Total second grade certificates 30 
 
 Tot^l first grade certificates 10(> 
 
 Total permanent primary certificates .~>4 
 
 Total permanent certificates 132 
 
 High school city certificates 
 
 Kindergarten state certificates u. "> 
 
 The State Department of Education also furnishes the following 
 information concerning the schools from which teachers in El Paso dur- 
 ing the year 1920-21 had graduated: 
 
 Total 
 
 7 
 
 2(52 
 
 87 
 41 
 
 
 Kicnn-ntary 
 Teachers 
 
 High School 
 Teachers 
 
 Graduates of no school 
 
 7 
 
 N^one 
 
 Graduates of high schools 
 
 233 
 
 29 
 
 Graduates of normal schools 
 Graduates of colleges or universities 
 
 71 
 10 
 
 10 
 31 
 
 It is doubtless the case that the teachers in the high school who 
 are recorded as having only high school graduation are either teachers 
 of special subjects or else are teachers who have been in the service 
 for a number of years and have demonstrated by actual work their 
 fitness for their positions. It doubtless also is true that some of these 
 same teachers have had considerable training above the grade of the 
 high school although they have not graduated elsewhere. It is also 
 true that in this year's high school faculty the percentage of teachers 
 with only high school training is considerably less and the percentage 
 of those with university degrees is considerably higher. Nevertheless 
 the recorded figures suggest that in future elections the requirements 
 of a college degree for high school teachers and of at least two years 
 of college or normal work for elementary teachers should be rigidly 
 adhered to. 
 
 Below the rank of the regularly employed teachers are pro- 
 bationary teachers and the cadets. The cadets are for the most part 
 
 (30) 
 
young teachers who are not assigned to regular class rooms. The name 
 "cadet" corresponds in some measure with the term supernumerary 
 teacher as it is used in some other school systems. The position offers 
 a very valuable opportunity for the training of young teachers. Tf 
 care is taken in the selecting of cadets, if no one is elected who is 
 not considered good material for the making of a regular teacher later 
 on, the group of cadets may become a very important element in the 
 obtaining of the supply of teachers. The supervisory staff and the 
 principals should consider the training of cadets as one of their most 
 important functions. 
 
 The teaching staff of El Paso includes people from a large num- 
 ber of different states in the union. It includes people who have had 
 their training in widely different schools and their previous experience 
 in widely different localities. This is as it should be. It is highly 
 unfortunate if all the teachers in a school system come from the same 
 school or the same locality. 
 
 It would probably be a good idea if the printed reports of the El 
 Paso schools occasionally gave a list of the teachers with the exact 
 preparation and the previous experience of each. 
 
 El Paso has to deal with the same problems that confront other 
 cities in reference to the preparation of its special teachers and par- 
 ticularly its teachers along industrial or vocational lines. It is always 
 a question as to whether to select for your vocational work, teachers 
 who have been trained in the shops or teachers who have been trained 
 in the schools. An ideal training of such teachers would of course in- 
 clude both. However, school finances are such that it is difficult to 
 attract teachers who have been trained both in the industries and in 
 the schools. Nevertheless qualities from both sources are indispensible 
 and particularly in dealing with small children. It appears that those 
 El Paso teachers who give instruction to girls in domestic science have 
 had more of college training in their subjects than have the teachers 
 of manual training in the grades. In the latter case the emphasis 
 seems to have been made upon the preparation in. the shops. While 
 both kinds of preparation are needed it would appear that a certain 
 amount of training in methods is absolutely indispensible for the man 
 who is efficient to teach manual training to small boys. 
 
 VIII. THE COURSE OF STUDY 
 
 Unfortunately the general laws of the State of Texas do not per- 
 mit any considerable amount of latitude in the making of a courv of 
 study, particularly in the elementary grades. There are uniform text 
 books prescribed and adopted in practically all of the subjects to lu* 
 used in the elementary schools and in many of the subjects in the 
 high school. 
 
 (33) 
 
The State Department of Education also issues a state course of 
 study which within certain limits is expected to be used throughout 
 the State. 
 
 The adoption of uniform text books undoubtedly saved some 
 money to the people of Texas during the time when text bo.oks were 
 bought by the patrons. However, since free text books are now fur- 
 nished by the State and the State therefore has supervision of all the 
 purchases of text books it would seem as if more of latitude might be 
 allowed for meeting the individual needs of the various communities. 
 
 Certain it is that the text book on spelling which would be most 
 adapted to the needs of Dallas is not necessarily the one which would 
 be of the greatest service in the schools of El Paso. To give a still 
 more specific illustration the text book on English which would be of 
 the greatest value to the 2,000 Mexican children attending the Aoy 
 school is not necessarily the one which would be of the greatest value 
 to the English speaking children of the Bailey or Morehead or Alta 
 Vista. 
 
 The course of study in the El Paso schools is by reason of State 
 uniformity of text books more or less the conventional course pre- 
 scribed by the State. That this course does not absolutely meet the 
 special need for the case is not a reflection upon the schools of El Paso 
 nor yet upon the State Department of Education. It is simply an- 
 other proof of the impossibility of the task of adopting the best text 
 books and writing the one best course of study which shall meet the 
 needs of all the city children and rural children who live in the widely 
 different sections of the sreat Empire State of Texas. 
 
 However, the El Paso schools have made good use of the small 
 amount of latitude which state uniformity has left to them. Within 
 the past year the teachers and supervisors in the El Paso schools, 
 working through committees of the proper sizes have outlined .rather 
 in detail, the course of study both in the elementary schools and in the 
 high school. These courses of study have been printed in forms ac- 
 cessible to the teachers and have been of great value to them. 
 
 One difficulty about printing an outline of a course of study is. 
 that ordinarily the outline is either too rigid or is not rigid enough. 
 There is one type of teacher who desires a very rigid outline of the 
 course of study. She desires to know just exactly how much ground 
 she should cover in each subject each month. 
 
 This desire is commendable but the difficulty with it is that there 
 is no stated amount of work which can and should be covered by every 
 class each month. Classes vary greatly in their needs and in their 
 abilities. The lock-step system is one of the grave evils which the 
 public should strive to avoid. 
 
 Nevertheless there is a certain amount of uniformity necessary in 
 school administration and in school instruction. While it is a fact 
 
that children vary in needs and in capacities there is nevertheless a 
 certain basis of need that is fundamen-tal and that is common to all 
 children. Furthermore their individual capacities probably vary less 
 than we are accustomed to 'think. 
 
 How to outline a course of study that will be sufficiently rigid to 
 serve as a guide to the new or inexperienced teacher and yet sufficiently 
 elastic to enable the experiencd teacher to adapt it to the needs of her 
 different children' is a question by no means easy to answer. 
 ;}<--'' 
 
 There is some question in the El Paso schools as to the propriety 
 
 of, modifying the course of study to meet the needs of the Mexican 
 children "South of the tracks." " In my judgment as much latitude 
 should be, allowed as the State laws will permit, and these laws should 
 if\necessary, be stretched well nigh to the breaking point to meet the 
 special needs of these children. "In actual fact I believe that there 
 should be more modification in the course of study to meet the needs 
 oj these children than there actually is. 
 
 Just what these modifications should be is a question on which 
 opinions may differ. The question is complicated by the number of 
 part-time classes. If you have only half the time which you need for 
 teaching it naturally follows that you must leave out something. 
 Equally naturally it follows, that you are likely to leave out those sub- 
 jects that you consider of least importance. 
 
 There is danger that in leaving out those subjects which the prin- 
 cipal or teacher considers of least' importance you may leave out some 
 subject which the special gift or genius of the child calls for. For in- 
 stance one may consider music among the minor items of the curricu- 
 lum; and yet since music is one of the subjects in which the Mexican 
 child ^ is especially gifted it would seem a pity for him to be deprived 
 of instruction in music. 
 
 In genera] it would seem to me that the following three groups of 
 subjects ought to be stressed in the Mexican schools of El Paso: 
 
 T. * First and foremost, English with all its allied branches. If a 
 Mexican child comes to school unable to speak the English language, 
 *he' 'thing he -needs most' of all to learn is to speak the English lan- 
 guage. Then he needs to learn how to read it, to write it and to spell 
 It 'His one most essential need is that kind of training which will 
 bring him into practical touch with all phases of English, including 
 ^nglo-Saxon ideals and standards of living. It is needless to say that 
 even in the process of learning the mechanics of reading, the Spanish 
 chUd needs methods of teaching and particularly methods of 
 f instruction, which are different from those needed by the Eng- 
 lish sneaking child. The various sounds in the Spanish language -to 
 ivlifefr'-he has been accustomed are different from those of the English 
 rrisv < : He learns rapidly at the start but nevertheless he should be 
 
 ': 
 
 (33) 
 
allowed more time for the accomplishment of certain work in English 
 than is needed by the American child. The course of study prepared 
 by the El Paso teachers makes excellent suggestions for this adaptation. 
 
 2. He should receive instruction along those lines in which Mexi- 
 can children are particularly gifted. Among these may be mentioned 
 music and handwork. 
 
 3. He should receive training of an industrial nature especially 
 suited to his needs and capacities. More time for cooking and sewing 
 should be allowed to the girls in the elementary schools in the Mexi- 
 can district than is needed by the American girls of the same grade. 
 Tn the first, second and third grades there are Mexican girls of four- 
 teen or fifteen years. In the American schools instruction is not given 
 in cooking or sewing in these lowest grades. However special arrange- 
 ments ought to be made whereby these subjects can be taught to the 
 Mexican girls of these ages even when they are in the first or second 
 grade. Tn San Antonio some years ago an excellent beginning was 
 made of teaching Mexican drawnwork to Mexican girls. 
 
 If these three groups of subjects are emphasized in the Mexican 
 schools, they will minister to the most important needs of these schools. 
 After these subjects are taught it will not make so much difference if 
 less emphasis is placed upon the other subjects of the conventional ele- 
 mentary school curriculum. 
 
 In the El Paso course of study as in similar courses in other cities 
 ft is difficult to keep the course in such subjects as manual training and 
 domestic science from becoming too rigid. The teachers of these sub- 
 jects have in some instances copied the vices of the older subjects 
 rather than their virtue. Among these vices is too much rigidity. 
 
 It is of course necessary that there be within certain limits an out- 
 line on the course of study in cooking and sewing and in manual train- 
 ing. This outline should be sufficiently definite to cover the essential 
 points in these subjects. 
 
 At the same time it should be sufficiently elastic to allow of the 
 application of the work to the individual interest of the pupils and to 
 the needs of the classes. In most schools girls are encouraged in 
 school to make their own clothing. In a few schools the course in 
 cooking is such as to allow the girls on some occasions to bring to 
 school the materials for making soup or bread or cake and then to pre- 
 pare these in class and to take the finished product home for use in 
 the family meal. 
 
 It is becoming more and more customary for the manual training 
 department in good schools to make the rulers or pointers needed in 
 the schools and even to attend to making minor school repairs and 
 furnishing minor school conveniences. In the high schools of Houston 
 and San Antonio much of the special equipment for new biuldings was 
 made by the boys in the manual training departments of the high 
 
 (34) 
 
schools. This furnished excellent training for the boys and as they 
 were paid for their work above that of the regular school, they profited 
 financially thereby. Incidentally the city saved thousands of dollars 
 and the articles made were fully as good as those that might have been 
 purchased from manufacturers at higher prices. 
 
 Greater flexibility in the course of manual training and domestic 
 science in the El Paso schools, would work to the increased advantage 
 of all concerned. 
 
 One of the excellent features outlined in the handbook of the El' 
 Paso schools is the work of Americanization. This includes such mat- 
 ters as flag etiquette, patriotism, and graded work which would tend 
 to make the child a better American citizen. 
 
 The amount of time which is outlined in this handbook to be de- 
 voted to the various subjects in the grades is excellent if it is not ad- 
 hered to with too much rigidity. It is highly valuable for suggestion 
 but should not be taken as iron-clad. Neither should the suggestion 
 be taken as iron-clad that two full terms shall be required in the low 
 first grade in the Mexican schools. It is quite likely that this much 
 time will be required but if the Mexican children in any class can 'do 
 the work in less time they should be allowed to do so. 
 
 Among the commendable features of the course of study in the 
 elementary schools is the systematic memory work and the list of books 
 recommended for home reading. To these might profitably be added 
 a graded course in picture study. 
 
 The course of study in the high school has as usual not been out- 
 lined quite so much in detail as has the course in the grades and par- 
 ticularly in the primary grades. There are three distinct courses lead- 
 ing to high school graduation: The college course, the general course 
 and the commercial course. Each one of these requires eighteen full 
 units of credit. This requirement is two units more than is ordinarily 
 required in standard high schools for graduation. It is provided that 
 the ordinary course shall consist of four "solid units" each year, but 
 in addition to these at least two more "light credits" shall be earned 
 during the four years of the high school course. It is explained that 
 these two light credits are intended to broaden the pupil's interests and 
 information. 
 
 There may perhaps be some difference of opinion as to the amount 
 of work to be required of a high school student and the relative value 
 of different subjects in the curriculum. The prevailing tendency is to 
 believe that four subjects carefully taught and thoroughly studied con- 
 stitute a fairly heavy course for a high school student. However, there 
 are some pupils who can carry five subjects more readily than others 
 can carry four. Provision is very properly made for allowing such 
 students to take extra work by special permission. 
 
 There is also a growing tendency to believe that 'there is a kind 
 of democracy in subject matter; that stenography ought to be taught 
 
 (35) 
 
in such a fashion as to require as much effort and give as valuable re- 
 turns as the study of Latin or Spanish. 
 
 While there might be ,a general willingness on the part of indi- 
 viduals to admit that some high school subjects are less valuable than 
 others there would probably be little unanimity in agreeing as to what 
 those subjects are. The tendency is for each specialist to think the 
 other fellow's subjects less important than his own. 
 
 The college preparatory course demands that fifteen of the sixteen 
 solid credits required shall be those accepted by colleges for admission. 
 Of these fifteen, four must be in English, two in history, three in 
 mathematics, three in one of the foreign languages and two in science. 
 This allows comparatively little scope for election. 
 
 The general course gives freer scope for election and suggests that 
 students wishing to count several vocational courses should use the 
 general course. 
 
 The commercial course covers four years and requires sixteen solid 
 credits and two light ones just as is required in the other subjects. 
 This allows the pupil to take some commercial subjects but makes it 
 necessary that most of the work be done along academic lines. 
 
 In the manual training work, shop work and mechanical drawing 
 are not placed in the same department nor under the same supervision. 
 In other words the mechanical drawing is under the department of art 
 rather than the department of manual training. This is contrary to 
 the usual custom and would seem not advantageous. 
 
 In the course in science chemistry precedes physics. This also 
 va ies from the customary practice. After physics a year in advanced 
 chemistry is offered.- 
 
 While there may be some difference of opinion as to the propriety 
 of "light credits" as applied to courses in manual and domestic arts, 
 there can be no difference as to the excellent list of activities outside 
 of the school room which are listed as providing for light credits. 
 Among these are first or second place in an interscholastic league con- 
 test of highest rank, first place in a record group contest in spelling, 
 satisfactory work on a school team or first place in a drill contest in 
 military science, or highly satisfactory service on the staff of the school 
 paper. The list of activities of this kind on which light credits may 
 be secured is an excellent one. 
 
 The high school maintains a junior unit of the Reserve Officers' 
 Training Corps,, directed by an officer of the regular army detailed by 
 the War Department. Uniforms and other equipment are furnished 
 by the War Department. 
 
 In general it may be stated that the El Paso High School offers 
 a course of study providing for a reasonable number of elected sub- 
 jects. It is stronger in its conservative subjects such as Latin, his- 
 tory, mathematics and science than in its vocational, industrial or com- 
 
 (36) 
 
mercial subjects although it offers a fair amount of opportunity along 
 these other lines. 
 
 One step forward which has recently been taken in connection 
 with the course of study has been the elimination of the eighth grade 
 from the elementary schools. The eighth grade as it is ordinarily 
 conducted, is worth while only when children enter the first grade at 
 six years of age and hence lack the maturity to complete the elementary 
 course of study in seven years. When children start to school at seven 
 years of age as they do in Texas it has been shown that seven years 
 are all that is needed for completing the elementary school course. The 
 model school in the University of Chicago had for years a course of 
 eight years below the high school, but the course was reorganized with 
 the deliberate intent to eliminate the eighth grade. The schools of 
 Kansas City, Mo., and of practically all the cities in Texas have been 
 organized on a seven year basis for years. The El Paso system was 
 undoubtedly moving in the right direction when the eighth "grade was 
 eliminated from the elementary course of study. 
 
 Some day in the near future, the course of study in the El Paso 
 schools will be reorganized to provide for junior high schools. The 
 fact that the high school building is already overcrowded will lead in 
 this direction. As a matter of fact there is already a group of first 
 year high school students at the Manhattan School, thus affording there 
 a nucleus for a junior high school. It is somewhat to be regretted that 
 the pupils of the highest grade of the elementary schools and those 
 of the first year of the high school at that building have different 
 teachers and apparently little relationship one to the other. If these 
 two years can be so reorganized that the same teachers will teach the 
 two groups it will be a step further in the right direction towar'd the 
 organization of -junior high schools. The future tendency of the El 
 Paso schools will probably be and should be in that direction. 
 
 When this is done the elementary course of study will consist of 
 six grades, the junior high school of two or three grades, as may be 
 deemed most advisable, and the senior high school of the remaining 
 three or two grades. This will be in accordance with the general 
 modern tendency among progressive high schools. 
 
 IX. THE CLASS ROOM PRODUCT 
 
 After all, however, the subject in which the parent is as a general 
 rule most interested is not that of the finances or the statistics of the 
 organization or even the desirability of the school property. The thing 
 that chiefly interests the parent is the actual result with his own child. 
 If he feels that his own children are actually profiting by the schools 
 he can overlook a great many other things. 
 
 (37) 
 
The question of good work or poor work in a school used to be 
 largely a matter of individual opinion. In recent years, howi-xri. 
 scales have been worked out by which progress along certain lines can 
 be definitely measured. 
 
 In view of the fact that the exigencies of the situation did not 
 allow the measurement of all the class room product of the El Paso 
 schools, the subject of English was selected for special study. Since 
 the outstanding fact in the El Paso school is that they deal with large 
 numbers of Mexican children it naturally follows that the most im- 
 portant subject in the course of study is that of English. Of all the 
 phases of work in English one easiest to measure is that of spelling. 
 Accordingly words selected from the Ayres Standard Scale of Spelling 
 was submitted to the children in all the grades of the El Paso schools 
 from the second grade on up. These words were dictated by the 
 teachers, the work was graded by the teachers, the averages were com- 
 puted and" the results sent to the office of the City Superintendent. 
 
 These same words had been used in measuring the spelling in hun- 
 dreds of other cities. It is possible therefore to give results showing 
 the way in which the children of El Paso spell as compared with the 
 way in which children spell in other cities. 
 
 The list of words submitted to the children in the various grades 
 were as follows: 
 
 Grade 2 Nine, face, ride, tree, sick, get, north, white, spent, foot, 
 blow, spring, river, lock,. plant, cut, song, winter, stone, free. 
 
 Grade 8 Catch, black, warm, unless, clothing, began, able, gone, 
 suit, track, watch, fell/ fight, dash, stop, walk, grant, soap, news, small. 
 
 Grade 4 Afraid, uncle, rather, comfort, elect, abroad, jail, shed 
 retire, refuse, district, royal, objection, restrain, pleasure, navy, popu- 
 lation, proper, judge, weather. 
 
 Grade 5 Sometimes, declare, engage, final, terrible, surprise, 
 period, addition, employ, property, select, firm, region, connection, con- 
 vict, private, command, debate, crowd, factory. 
 
 Grade 6 Often, stopped, motion, theatre, improvement, century, 
 total, mention, arrive, supply, assist, examination, particular, difference, 
 affair, neither, local, marriage, further, serious. 
 
 Grade 7 Issue, material, suggest, mere, senate, receive, respect- 
 fully, agreement, unfortunate, majority, elaborate, necessary, divide, 
 citizen, absence, testimony, celebration, discussion, folks, arrangement. 
 
 Grades 8, 9, 10 and 11 Divide, principal (of a school), testi- 
 mony, discussion, arrangement, reference, evidence, organization, emer- 
 gency, appreciate, sincerely, extreme, immediate, athletic, convenience, 
 receipt, preliminary, decision, judgment, recommend. 
 
 (38) 
 
The averages made by the various grades in the city of El Paso 
 are given below as compared with the similar averages made in the 
 schools of Gary, Ind., Cleveland, Ohio, Houston, Texas, and eighty- 
 four other cities selected throughout the United States. 
 
 Grade 
 
 Percentage 
 in 84 Cities 
 
 Gary 
 
 Cleveland 
 
 Houston 
 
 El Paso 
 
 2 
 
 77 
 
 51 
 
 74 
 
 76.2 
 
 80.7 
 
 3 
 
 77 
 
 56 
 
 78 
 
 84.3 
 
 83.7 
 
 4 
 
 76 
 
 53 
 
 73 
 
 82.0 . 
 
 75.6 
 
 5 
 
 76 
 
 51 
 
 75 
 
 81.6 
 
 74.6 
 
 6 
 
 76 
 
 58 
 
 78 
 
 86.5 
 
 85.2 
 
 7 
 
 76 
 
 62 
 
 75 
 
 87.1 
 
 82.8 
 
 8 
 
 76.5 
 
 55.1 
 
 75.6 
 
 82.9 
 
 74.3 
 
 9 
 
 76 
 
 57 
 
 80 
 
 82.9 
 
 75.9 
 
 10 
 
 
 71 
 
 .... 
 
 81.8 
 
 79.9 
 
 11 
 
 
 79 
 
 
 88.7 
 
 89.4 
 
 It will be observed from these figures that the measurement of 
 the work in spelling in the El Paso schools shows excellent results. In 
 general the marks are decidedly above those of the averages through- 
 out the United States. Furthermore many of the Mexican schools 
 compare very favorably with the American schools in the matter of 
 spelling. In fact, taken throughout, the averages of the Beall School 
 which is attended largely by Mexicans are higher than those of any 
 other school of the city. It may particularly be noted that the three 
 high second grades at this school made an average of 98.9 per cent 
 on the second grade words. It is worthy of note that in this school 
 the teaching of spelling stresses the idea of syllables. On the other 
 hand the lowest average made was an average of 35 per cent made 
 by the low fourth grade in one of the Mexican schools. 
 
 It should of course be recognized that in the lower grades par- 
 ticularly many of the Mexican children are considerably older than are 
 the American children in the corresponding grades. This may account 
 to some extent for their work in spelling. 
 
 It will be noticed that the fourth and fifth grades do not rank as 
 high in the comparative scale of spelling as do the other grades. This 
 is due to conditions which any teacher who is familiar with those grades 
 will readily understand. 
 
 It is also worth while to notice that the best spelling in the high 
 school is in the fourth year and the next best in the third year. This 
 is partly due to the teaching, partly due to the greater maturity of 
 the pupil and partly due alas! to the principle of the survival of the 
 fittest. 
 
 In order to gain a further idea as to the quality of the work in 
 English a collection was made of at least one paper in written English 
 
 (39) 
 
from every pupil in the- city schools. As a general rule these papers 
 were neatly written, well spelled and showed a gqod .grasp of the prjn- 
 ciples of the English language. There were, of course, many poojrly 
 written and badly constructed papers just as there will be found in 
 any system of city schools in the United States. In general, how- 
 eve" r, the papers were creditable to the El Paso schools, especially when 
 one considers that a large number of the pupils did not speak the 
 English language as their native tongue. 
 
 Your visitor made a careful study of the product of the. work in 
 the high seventh grade of the Beall School. The children were almost 
 all of Mexican birth or extraction. They had a good knowledge of 
 the fundamental operations in arithmetic with whole numbers, mixed 
 numbers, common fractions, and decimals. They had a good general 
 grasp of the principles of percentage. They had a good general knowl- 
 edge of current events and of such matters as seventh grade pupils are 
 ordinarily expected to grasp. 
 
 These children of Mexican parentage would have compared very 
 favorably with most pupils who are ready to leave* the elementary 
 schools and enter the high school in many eastern cities where Ameri- 
 can strain predominates. .This fact is a tribute to the capacity of 
 Mexican children and also to the efficiency of the public school system 
 of El Paso. 
 
 Graduates of the El Paso High School are admitted on the strength 
 of their diplomas to the University of Texas and to many of thye lead- 
 ing colleges of the north and east. Many of them have entereS these 
 colleges and have made and are still making good records ,fri them. 
 The high school has thirty-eight units of credit as recognized by the 
 State Department of Education for Texas. In this respect it ranks 
 well among the other cities of the State. 
 
 One of the methods frequently used in judging of the efficiency 
 of a school system is that of a study of the distribution by "age and 
 grade. This is a good basis for comparison where conditions are the 
 same, but where conditions differ greatly the comparison may be alto- 
 gether misleading. 
 
 For instance if it were stated to one unacquainted with conditions 
 that at the Aoy School, out of 2,000 pupils enrolled there are 707 in 
 the first grade, he might hastily come to the conclusion that it is a 
 very poor school. If he were to really study the school and its work 
 he would find on the other hand that it is really an excellent school. 
 The 707 children in the first grade are largely Mexican children who 
 have previously had little opportunity for schooling of any kind and 
 no opportunity for training in the English language. They were : very 
 much like the men in the Scripture who when asked why they were 
 still idle at the eleventh hour replied, "Because no man hath hired) us.'' 
 They were taking advantage of their first opportunity. Many of these 
 
 (40) 
 
.- 
 
 , decidedly over age for their grades, and hence would make a !>'! 
 ^showing in the average table of distribution by age and grades. How- 
 ever, instead of their being a rellection upon the school they are really 
 j|rea.tly to the credit of the school that has taken them in charge and 
 trying to make a record for itself has tried as best it can to 
 the pupils. 
 
 ith this preliminary statement the following table is submitted 
 giving the distribution by grades of the children in the El Paso schools 
 on the 18th day of December, 1921. The table is given separatel> 
 for" the schools of the Mexican districts "South of the Tracks" and 
 those of the American district "North of the Tracks." 
 
 Grades 
 
 South of Tracks 
 Mexican 
 District 
 
 Kindergarten | 138 340 
 
 Low First 1,617 572 
 
 High First 656 283 
 
 Low -Second ' 684 451 
 
 High Second 527 338 
 
 Low' Third 419 410 
 
 HighJ Third 322 363 
 
 Low; Fourth '. j 329 374 
 
 High Fourth ; 224 284 
 
 , Low Fifth 224 374 
 
 ...High Fifth 225 262 
 
 Low Sixth 134 327 
 
 ^ ?( High :? Sixth 126 284 
 
 t- Low Seventh 100 240 
 
 3c H.b?h Seventh. .. : .,... 47 163 
 
 ? = ^T= ^^ 
 
 It- High School No. 
 
 k First 639 ~ 
 
 Second 502 
 
 <<v Third 522 
 
 , t .f r Fourth 127 
 
 Junior College 65 
 
 North of Tracks 
 American 
 District 
 
 Entire City 
 of El Paso 
 
 478 
 
 939 
 jSfi 
 865 
 
 S29 
 
 (58.1 
 703 
 508 
 598 
 487 
 563 
 410 
 340 
 210 
 
 No exact figures are available as to the number of Mexican pupils 
 in the high school but the Superintendent of Schools estimates the 
 number to be about 100. 
 
 It is sometimes considered that statistics make dry reading but 
 surely no one can carefully read the figures in the above table without 
 seeing in them an element of the pathetic if not of the tragic. In the first 
 grade the children in the Mexican schools outnumber those in the Amer- 
 ican schools' by practically three to one. By the time the low third 
 grade is reached there is practically an equality in numbers, and after 
 that the proportion of Mexican children steadily diminishes until in the 
 high seventh grade the proportion of Americans to Mexicans is more 
 than three to one. It is a story of a losing contest against the handi- 
 
 (41) 
 
caps of an unfamiliar language, poverty and other matters of heritage. 
 When all these things are taken into consideration, however, the show- 
 ing is not a bad one for either side. Only the all wise being can tell 
 on which side the greater effort has been made. 
 
 The percentage of pupils of the entire enrollment that are enrolled 
 in a high school furnishes one of the tests ordinarily used in judging 
 the efficiency of a school system. The following figures are given by 
 the State Department of Education concerning the enrollment in the 
 elementary schools and in the high schools in several Texas cities dur- 
 ing the year 1920-21 and the percentage which the high school en- 
 rollment represents of the total: 
 
 TOTAL NET ENROLLMENT IN 1920-21 
 
 City 
 
 High 
 School 
 
 Elementary 
 School 
 
 All 
 Schools 
 
 Percentage of 
 H. S. Enrollment 
 on Total 
 Enrollment 
 
 Dallas 
 
 5,023 
 
 23624 
 
 28 647 
 
 17 
 
 San Antonio .. . 
 
 4,178 
 
 23,369 
 
 27547 
 
 15 
 
 Houston 
 
 3,341 
 
 22,653 
 
 25994 
 
 13 
 
 Fort Worth 
 
 3,388 
 
 15,426 
 
 18814 
 
 18 
 
 El Paso 
 
 1 873 
 
 12 243 
 
 14 llfi 
 
 19 
 
 Waco 
 
 1,902 
 
 7,591 
 
 9493 
 
 19 
 
 Galveston 
 
 909 
 
 5,219 
 
 6128 
 
 15 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Still another basis for measuring the work of a school is by the 
 percentage of which the total net enrollment in school is of the total 
 number of pupils on the census roll. This shows the proportion of 
 those children who ought to be in school who actually are in school. 
 This comparison is a just one only when due allowance is made for 
 the character of the population, whether white or colored, Mexican or 
 American, etc. It also should take into consideration the number of 
 private or parochial schools in the city and the number of children at- 
 tending them. The city of El Paso lists twenty-six such schools. 
 Here again the State Department of Education furnishes the following 
 figures as a basis for comparison, among the city schools of Texas for 
 the year 1920-21: 
 
 City 
 
 Enumerated 
 in Scholastic 
 Census 
 
 Enrolled 
 in Schools 
 
 Prcentage of 
 Enumeration 
 Enrolled 
 
 Dallas 
 
 33,000 
 
 28,647 
 
 86 
 
 San Antonio 
 
 33,219 
 
 27,547 
 
 .83 
 
 Houston 
 
 36,802 
 
 25,994 
 
 71 
 
 Fort Worth 
 
 22,372 
 
 18,814 
 
 80 
 
 El Paso 
 
 18,157 
 
 14,116 
 
 77 
 
 Waco 
 
 9,143 
 
 9,493 
 
 
 Galveston 
 
 8,955 
 
 6,128 
 
 .65 
 
 (42) 
 
X. DEPARTMENTS OF SCHOOL WORK 
 
 The El Paso schools may be considered as at present organized 
 under the following general heads: 
 1. Kindergartens. 
 Primary Department. 
 .'). Intermediate Department. 
 
 4. High School. 
 
 5. Junior College. 
 (>. Special Classes. 
 
 7. Extension Schools. 
 
 With regard to these seven departments the following general 
 comments may be made. 
 
 1. The kindergartens appear to be doing good work although 
 some of them are badly overcrowded. There are almost three times 
 as many kindergarten children in the American district as there are in 
 the Mexican district. If it is conceded that there is more need for 
 kindergartens in one district than in the other it would surely be con- 
 ceded that they are needed more among the Mexican children than 
 among the Americans. It may be remarked in passing that the most 
 approved practice in kindergartens today tends to bring them more 
 closely in touch with the first grade. It tends to introduce something 
 of the first grade into the kindergarten and to retain much of the kin- 
 dergarten in the first grade. This is especially desirable among chil- 
 dren who are not familiar with the English language. 
 
 2. The primary department in the El Paso schools includes only 
 the first and second grades. In most schools it includes the third grade 
 also. It might be well for this change in classification to be made, 
 since the third grade is generally closer kin in spirit and in methods 
 to the second grade than to the fourth and those above. 
 
 One excellent feature in the first grades in the El Paso schools is 
 that in dealing with the Mexican children who are over the normal 
 age for the first grade they are ordinarily grouped according to age. 
 For instance, there will be one first grade of seven or eight year old 
 children, another of nine or ten year old children, and a third of older 
 children. This gives each group the opportunity to begin at the 
 same place if need be, but allows each group to make progress in ac- 
 cordance with its years and maturity. 
 
 A suggestion as to possible improvement is that when children 
 have had a certain amount of schooling in the Spanish language and 
 are merely behind in English, they should be placed as nearly as pos- 
 sible in the grade in which they fit in their native tongue. Special 
 instructions can be given in English while the child is studying the 
 other subjects for which his training fits him. This practice has been 
 tried in many good schools and has been found to lessen the time of 
 retardation. 
 
 (43) 
 
3. The intermediate department is organized on a departmental 
 ba.sis, from the fifth grade through the seventh. The transfer of the 
 third grade to the primary department, and of the seventh grade to 
 the Junior High School would render possible a more compact organiza- 
 tion of the intermediate grades and might make it possible to organize 
 the entire intermediate department on the basis of departmental 
 instruction. 
 
 4. Suggestion has already been made that both for reasons of 
 administrative economy and for reasons pertaining to better work it 
 might be well in the future to reorganize the high school so that there 
 may be two junior high schools in different sections of the city and one 
 senior high school. When this is done the high school course of study 
 together with that of the seventh year should be reorganized. As a 
 
 .'.first step in the process the junior high school nucleus now being de- 
 veloped at Manhattan School might be gradually extended until it de- 
 velops into one of the junior high school centers for the city. 
 
 5. The junior college is one of the most interesting features of 
 the El Paso school system. So far as is generally known El Paso is 
 the only city in Texas which is developing the junior college as a 
 feature of its regular school system. 
 
 The junior college is simply an addition of the first and second 
 year of college work beyond the work of the fourth year of the high 
 school. It would not be desirable in such cities as Houston or Austin 
 or Dallas where already institutions of higher learning are located. 
 The reason that it is specially desirable in El Paso in that this city 
 is remote from most of the state institutions of higher learning. It 
 is true that the department of mining of the State University is located 
 in El Paso, but this is a technical school and was not designed to do 
 academic work for high school graduates. Many boys and girls who 
 graduate from high school and who would like to take higher work 
 may not be able to go long distances away to school. It may not be 
 desirable for young boys and girls just out of high school to be sent 
 long distances away from home. The junior college gives to El Paso 
 boys and girls the opportunity to do at home the work of the first two 
 years of college in such manner that they will receive credit for it. 
 when they go elsewhere for their third and fourth year of college work. 
 
 The junior college has at present an enrollment of sixty-five stu- 
 dents. The principal of the high school is also the president of the 
 junior college. There are eight teachers who give part of their time 
 to the work of the junior college and part to that of the high school. 
 It is estimated that the cost of instruction in the junior college is 
 slightly over $100 per pupil per year. A portion of this cost is covered 
 by the payment of a tuition fee of $25 per year. This is estimated 
 as about the equivalent of the matriculation fees at the State Univer- 
 sity. It would seem, however, that if the junior college is to be made 
 
 (44) 
 
a part of the free school work of the city of El Paso it might be properly 
 placed completely upon a free school basis. 
 
 (i. The city of El Paso, doubtless on account of financial reasons 
 has not done a great deal in the way of providing special- classes* as -a. 
 feature of its regular school work. It has one class for deaf children 
 with eight pupils enrolled. This is at the Sunset School. The teacher i 
 receives a salary of $1,500 per year and the instructions in this class 
 probably cost more per capita than the instruction in any other class 
 in the city. However, if the work is effective it is undoubtedly worth 
 all il costs and the city of El Paso will not begrudge the expenditure 
 of $187.;"n) upon each one of the children so unfortunate as to be,de.< 
 prived of his hearing. :j 
 
 There are no special classes for subnormal children. Unless the 
 children of El Paso are different from those of other cities there is 
 doubtless need for such classes. It would be well at any rate to^ inh 
 vestigate this subject carefully and if there is evidence of need, to or- 
 ganize one or more such classes for the coming year. 
 
 . 
 
 XI. EXTENSION SCHOOLS 
 
 The Extension Schools are such an important feature of the work 
 of a modern city school system that especial attention should be called 
 to them. These are schools for the benefit of people who are so 
 situated that they cannot attend school under normal school condi- 
 tions or profit by the conventional school worjc. They are schools 
 that go to the people instead of asking the people to come to them. 
 
 These are represented in the city of El Paso by night school work 
 which is carried on at five different places with enrollment for the cur- 
 rent year as follows: 
 
 High School.. .. 421 
 
 Aoy School Son 
 
 Franklin (Vocational) 70 
 
 Court House.... 1< 
 
 Douglass (Colored) 2S 
 
 Total.... -~^\ 
 
 The chief work at some of these schools consists of the teaching 
 of English to foreigners, many of whom are adults. A systematic 
 course in Americanization has been worked out in this connection. 
 
 Then there are classes in the fundamental branches of English 
 education. These are primarily for the benefit of grown people who 
 were in their youth deprived of the opportunity to go to school, '-<>r 
 young people who have had to drop out of school to go to work. * 
 
 Then there are courses in commercial subjects and in the various 
 vocational subjects. : , 
 
It may be remarked in passing that English when properly taughi 
 to Mexican children is as strictly a vocational subject as is stenography 
 or blacksmithing. The Mexican child who knows how to speak Eng- 
 lish and to read and write it with even a reasonable degree of pro- 
 ficiency certainly has a great advantage in the matter of earning a 
 living in the United States over the Mexican child who cannot do 
 these things. 
 
 Along vocational lines the schools of El Paso are co-operating 
 with the United States Government under the Smith-Hughes Law and 
 with the State of Texas. This means that in these vocational sub- 
 jects the Federal Government bears half of the expense of the teach- 
 er's salary. For certain classes the State of Texas pays one-half of 
 the other half. The city of El Paso therefore pays half of the salaries 
 of the teachers of some vocational classes and one-fourth of the salary 
 of others. 
 
 These vocational classes conducted under the Smith-Hughes Law 
 come under three general heads: Day school classes, night school 
 classes, and part-time classes. In the group last mentioned those en- 
 rolled attend school for a portion of the time they are employed, and 
 receive pay from their employers for the time spent in school. This 
 arrangement can, of course, only be made by co-operation between their 
 employers and the schools. 
 
 The classes in' vocational subjects receiving Smith-Hughes aid 
 with their enrollment are as follows: 
 
 Department 
 
 Period 
 
 Classes 
 
 Total 
 Enrollment 
 
 Auto Mechanics .. 
 
 Day School 
 
 2 
 
 38 
 
 Machine Shop Processes 
 Printing and Linotyping 
 Auto Mechanics 
 
 Day School 
 Day School 
 Night School 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 1 
 
 25 
 
 7 
 44 
 
 Carpentry and Estimating 
 
 Night School 
 
 1 
 
 17 
 
 Sheet Metal Work 
 
 Night School 
 
 1 
 
 14 
 
 Machine Shop Work 
 Blue Print Reading 
 
 Night School 
 Night School 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 12 
 
 10 
 
 Printing ...... 
 Dietetics for Nurses at Hospital.... 
 Printing Enrollment 
 Cooking for Domestic Servants (at Alta Vista) 
 
 Night School 
 Part-Time 
 Part-Time 
 Part-Time 
 
 1 
 1 
 1 
 1 
 
 7 
 10 
 7 
 10 
 
 This gives in the vocational classes a net enrollment of 70 in the 
 regular day school, 104 in the night school, and 27 in part-time work, 
 or 201 in all. 
 
 For this vocational work the total extent of teacher's salaries for 
 the current school year will be $7,968. Of this amount the Federal 
 Government and the State of Texas will pay $4,498, leaving $:],470 
 as the net expense to the city of El Paso in keeping up this work. This 
 means only a trifle over $17 for each of the 201 pupils enrolled. It is 
 
 (46) 
 
much less than the per capita in the day schools. There is probably 
 no money spent by the city of El Paso for which greater returns are 
 received. 
 
 A night school is the most democratic institution in the world. It 
 probably comes nearer being a manifestation of genuine civic Chris- 
 tianity than does any other institution in the world. It brings oppor- 
 tunities to those who either have not had them or have lost them. 
 
 The only regret that can be expressed concerning the night school 
 work in the city of El Paso is that ft is not larger. Surely out of so 
 large a number of people who cannot speak the English language there 
 must be thousands who would like to learn and who would be willing 
 to come to school at night for that purpose. 
 
 It would pay the city oi El Paso to employ some one person who 
 would give a large portion of his time to the work of the night schools, 
 and especially to the work of bringing into them people who need to 
 learn the English language and American ideals. Such a person could 
 perform a genuine international service. 
 
 Meantime no citizen of El Paso ought to consider that he is fully 
 awake to the real civic work of his home town if he has not visited 
 these night schools and seen the great work actually going on. 
 
 A movement now under contemplation by the public school au- 
 thorities of El Paso is that of establishing classes in retail salesman- 
 ship on a part-time basis in co-operation with a number of the large 
 dry goods stores of the city. The delay has been caused by difficulty 
 in securing a teacher with proper qualifications. It is an excellent 
 movement and should be put into effect with as little delay as possible. 
 The boys and girls who are selling goods in the city have, in many in- 
 stances, not received that degree of education or that kind which is 
 essential to their advancement in the world and to their rendering to 
 the public the greatest service of which they are capable. To fur- 
 nish the opportunity to secure this education would be a great help 
 to the boys and girls themselves and also to the general public. 
 
 XII. ORGANIZED CO-OPERATION IN THE 
 COMMUNITY 
 
 The time has long since passed when a good school considers that 
 jt can by itself do all that needs to be done for the education of a com- 
 munity. Good schools today desire and expect the organized co- 
 operation of all of the forces for good existing in the community. 
 
 Among these organizations in the city of El Paso is the Parent- 
 Teachers Association. There are eight of these organizations among 
 the sixteen schools of the city, all of them on the American side of the 
 
 (47) 
 
city. Many of these have been potent factors in the work for good 
 in the city. In some instances they have concerned themseles with the" 
 beautification of the school grounds. At Manhattan School they haive 
 taken an interest in the establishment of hot lunches. At the More'? 1 
 head School and several others they have taken up the matter'of the 
 weighing and measurement of children and the study of child d'feteticsl^ 
 
 " "< .^l v, L'FfT '',h 
 
 All such work is helpful. The only pity is that there is not more, 
 of it. When school boards are as much overburdened in financial 
 matters as the average school board is, there is always some : 'oppor- 
 tunity for the good co-operating organization to take up and estarjSsW' 
 A/ter-it is once established it may later on be turned over to the school' 
 
 board to be thereafter supported out of private funds. 
 
 rv 't "- ~T. '. *>f 
 
 jor all cpncerried when such organizations ;.talke up ac- 
 form o f constr uctive service for the schools . There 
 iy, s^ch lins open. There are numerous places, in,' :the schools, 
 w&ere hob inches .should be served . A systematic weighing and; meas- 1 
 urement of the children all over the city, with ^.specia^ study 1 of tlie^ 
 n}artt^ ? o|,(naaLnutrition and its remedies, would be a great service to 
 tfte'j cJjiidren of, El Paso and could be backed and supporfed. creditably 
 by the Pg$ en t-Teacher . Association. There is -urgent neeft, for m6fj 
 help in dpinc.the health work for the city schools. The pa\^^ri\^w 
 sajanes for one or more nurses would be an excellent work for %ny co- 
 ( operative organization. ' .tt 
 
 In counting up the school forces of the city it is a great* rrii 
 to omit , to,, consider the organized patrons of the schools." Thev^ are 5 
 wonderful capacity for constructive service. 
 
 There-are various other organizations of a semi-civic nature jyWc^ 
 are capable of rendering great help to the schools. Amon ...tne.si '.are 
 such organizations as the Rotary Club, the Kiwanis Clu'), tne : ' 
 
 etc. These organizations in El Paso have taken .a 
 of interest in the public schools but seem not to have 
 as has been done in some other cities in Texas and ; >r 
 
 Rotary Club, through its Boys' Committee, has gotten behind the feoy 
 Scout movement and has done an excellent work by its service to this 
 institution. It might however come more closely in touch with the 
 actual public work than it does. In numerous cities, Rotary clubs 
 have made personal carnpaigns among all the boys of the ? city in the 
 interest of the "Stay in School" movement and other movements of 
 like nature. In some instances they have furnished employ.me-nt to 
 boys at such hours as would enable them to continue the^r,^Qr|;. in 
 school, and in other instances. have loaned money ta nieedy boys^ii- 
 able them to continue their work in school. These clubs in.^j!|Sso 
 have already been of service to the city schools in several ways'b'ut 
 thepe is no doubt that it is possible for them to render rrjore service 
 to theniv *& 
 
 .:....::!,< . -,d: 
 (48) 
 
The payment of the salary of an additional school nurse. would not 
 be a great task for one of these organizations and would be a service 
 of untold value to the community. 
 
 One of the organizations that has taken an active interest in th.e 
 El Paso schools is the Young Men's Business League of the city. , This 
 organization about a year ago undertook and made a very credit- 
 able study of the needs of the schools along such material, lines 
 as buildings, grounds, and financial support. They did not make 
 a study of the instruction or the course of study but recommended that 
 in the future a survey should be made which would include all these 
 things. The study made by this organization undoubtedly was, help- 
 ful to the schools. It is hoped that the Young Men's Business League 
 within the future continues to take the same active, helpful interest in 
 school affairs which it has previously taken. 
 
 XTII. THE WIDER USE OF THE SCHOOL PLANT 
 AND EQUIPMENT 
 
 It is coming to be a well recognized fact that when a citv. has 
 millions of dollars invested in school buildings and grounds, it is too 
 large a sum to allow the property to be used for only six hours a day, 
 five days a week and nine months in the year. It is in the interests 
 of real civic economy to use these buildings and grounds, as much as 
 possible. A factory which is running only a fourth of the day and i- for 
 a portion of the days in the week would not be, considered as eco- 
 nomically managed. 
 
 Not a great deal seems to have been done in El Paso concerning 
 the wider use of the school plant. The night schools, the summer 
 schools and the meetings of the Parent-Teacher Associations seem to 
 be the chief occasions for using the school buildings outside the regu- 
 lar school hours. 
 
 The rules of the school forbid the use of the buildings for religious 
 purposes or for political discussions or for dancing. The forbidding 
 of these three things cuts off a number of these interests which appeal 
 to the average man or woman. 
 
 The regulation of questions of this sort is a matter which of course 
 each community must decide for itself. Much depends upon local 
 sentiment. 
 
 After all, however, the school buildings belong to the people. Why 
 have not the people the right to use them within reasonable limit as 
 they see fit? Is there anything disgraceful in the matter of religion 
 or in the matter of politics? There may have been a time once when 
 a political meeting may have been considered not a place for good 
 
 (49) 
 
citizens to go. Is it not considered today however, that it is the duty 
 of good citizens, including good women, to take an intelligent interest 
 in political affairs? If the women and the men alike should be well 
 informed in regard to political matters what more suitable a ptace 
 is there for them to go to obtain such information than to the school 
 house? 
 
 However opinions may differ in regard to these particular mat- 
 ters, surely no one in this day and time would object to seeing the 
 school buildings used for matters pertaining to the general welfare of 
 the community. Certain it is that the community forum or the com- 
 munity council is an excellent organization for the development of 
 community welfare, and that the general tendency in progressive cities 
 is to make use of their school buildings outside of school hours for 
 community purposes. 
 
 Little seems to be done in El Paso in the matter of playgrounds, 
 particularly in connection with public schools. One of the reasons for 
 this is that in many instances the school grounds are not large enough 
 to be of much service outside of school hours. Another reason is that 
 some years back there was a considerable amount of playground work 
 done in the city and there was a considerable reaction of public sen- 
 timent against it. The city of El Paso is strong in so many depart- 
 ments of civic life that it is regrettable to find that it is weak in the 
 matter of parks and playgrounds. It is earnestly recommended that 
 all school sites selected for future buildings should be large enough to 
 provide at least reasonable playground for the children. A minimum 
 of two city blocks for a school of any considerable size should be kept 
 in mind. If financially possible supervised play should be maintained 
 during the summer holidays and at suitable hours during the school 
 year. 
 
 XIV. HEALTH WORK IN THE SCHOOLS 
 
 There is no more important question that can be asked concern- 
 ing the work in a city school system than the question as to what the 
 school is doing to safeguard the health of the children and their teach- 
 ers. Any school system which graduates its children in a condition of 
 nervousness, with impaired eyesight, or with poorer general health than 
 they had when they entered,- is doing the children an injury for which 
 no amount of mental training can afford compensation. 
 
 Any school system which exposes great masses of children need- 
 lessly to epidemics is well nigh criminally negligent. It used to be 
 that in times of epidemics parents kept their children at home as a 
 matter of safety. Today in a good modern school system the school 
 is the safest place to which parents can send their children under such 
 
 (50) 
 
circumstances. This condition cannot be brought about, however, 
 without great care on the part of the school authorities and without 
 the expenditure of considerable sums of money, for matters pertain- 
 ing to health. 
 
 The chief criticism to be made on health work in the city schools 
 of El Paso is that there is not enough of it. What there is has been 
 introduced within the last few years. All that has been done is a 
 step in the right direction, but the interests of the community require 
 that still more be done. 
 
 The forces working for the health of the El Paso school children 
 may be enumerated as follows: 
 
 1. The city physician, paid by the city, devotes half his time 
 to health work in the schools. 
 
 2. One nurse paid by the school board, devotes her entire time 
 to health work in the schools. 
 
 3. Two women known as "hygienists," not trained nurses, de- 
 vote their time to such health work as untrained workers can do. 
 
 4. An extra physician furnished by the city devotes such portion 
 of his time as may be needed to the work of vaccinating school children. 
 
 5. There have been two physicians who in recent months have 
 given on a volunteer basis such time to the schools as they could spare 
 from their regular practice. One of these has recently moved from 
 the city. 
 
 There can not be the slightest doubt that all these agencies have 
 rendered faithful service and have done a great deal of good. Never- 
 theless the task before them has been a tremendous one. The mere 
 task of vaccinating 13,000 school children is no small one. The task 
 of seeing that they are kept free from contagious diseases is still larger. 
 The task of seeing that each one of these 13,000 children is free from 
 preventable physical defects and receive that particular kind of physical 
 training which his needs demand is truly a stupendous one. 
 
 To begin with there should be at least one physician who gives 
 his entire time to health work in the schools. If need be, he should be 
 paid by the school board. In any event he should give his entire time 
 to the schools and should work under the direction of the schools. 
 
 Under present conditions a faithful effort is made to inspect the 
 children for contagious diseases and for defects of the eye, ear, nose 
 and throat. Nevertheless half the school day does not allow sufficient 
 time for properly making such inspection. One principal summed up 
 the situation by saying, "The doctor has only time enough to catch 
 such defects as he can see during the time the pupil is coming across 
 the room toward him.'' This is not as much time as is needed though 
 it is all that can be obtained under present conditions. 
 
 In the second place there should be more than one local nurse 
 employed. It was a matter of general belief among the principals 
 
 (51) 
 
that the one nurse now employed renders services of a very high order. 
 The only regret is that there are not more of them. 
 
 As a matter of fact at a school like Aoy, attended by 2,000 Mexi- 
 can children, many of whom come from the poorer families, and mariy 
 of whom have not been trained to the American standards of cleanli- 
 ness and hygiene, there is abundance of work for taking the' services 
 of a good school nurse for every moment of her working time. One 
 such nurse could also be used profitably at Beall School. The welfare 
 of the city would be greatly advanced by the employment of at least 
 four trained nurses for full time work in the schools, and six woulft 
 be better. 
 
 In the city schools at Houston several years ago; there were four- 
 teen nurses employed for work in the city schools. However, not all 
 of these were paid by the school board. One was furnished by the 
 Anti-Tuberculosis League, one by the Red Cross, two -by.- the United 
 States Government Health Service, two by the city and possibly others 
 by other co-operative organizations. 
 
 Is not the situation in El Paso such that it might be helped by 
 similar co-operation? Is it a case where several organizations could 
 furnish a nurse, all of the nurses to give full time to health work in the 
 schools, under the direction of the school board and under the spe- 
 cial charge of a full time physician to be employed by the board? There 
 is no work which could be done by parent-teacher associations,, or by 
 such organizations as the Rotary Club or the Kiwanis Club which could 
 possibly result in greater good to the city schools of El Paso and to 
 the city itself. 
 
 A third specific suggestion in regard to the health work is that 
 there should be some one person charged with the responsibility., of de- 
 ciding what pupils shall be excluded from school on account pf, danger 
 from contagious diseases, and when such children may with safety, be 
 readmitted to school. This one person should be .the .school physician, 
 Certificates of safety written by other physicians should- he. submitted 
 to him for his approval or disapproval. He should ... present .Hp the 
 board, and the board should approve a certain schedule giving n the, 
 length of time which must elapse after a pupil has been. exposed. .to^tjie 
 various contagious diseases or has recovered from one of them,, before 
 he can safely be admitted to school. , 
 
 The work of two hygienists above referred to has prove^hiex- 
 ceedingly helpful. A considerable portion of* their ;timje is t-akdfi - : iif>. 
 with what is sometimes referred to as "delousing" which >4s a 
 important operation in certain districts. They are> also a 
 in other matters pertaining to the cleanliness of school' chilcfren:^ They 
 abundantly earn their salaries, but it is, of course, notv.pctssiMe ; f ; r 
 them to render services which require the preparation -thaV-'a" trained' 
 nurse must have. i -. w 
 
 (52) ' ll Svtn 
 
V.-ivThe volunteer services rendered by certain physicians have also 
 been -extremely .helpful. Doubtless there are other physicians in El 
 Paso who wtfuld also be glad to give a part of their time to school 
 work, under the general oversight of the school physician. 
 Jri No special provision has been made, for dental work in the schools. 
 As : soon as finances will allow at least one dental clinic ought to be 
 established. 
 
 None <jf the schools visited were menaced by the use of the com- 
 mon drinking cup by the school children. Most of them though not 
 all, were ./.provided with sanitary drinking fountains. Some did not 
 have ; as many appliances as were needed, and in some schools the 
 appliances .were not of the most approved pattern. 
 
 It would be better for the health of the children if more provision 
 were made for supervised play and more for the proper kind of phy- 
 sical education. It would be helpful also if systematic lessons in 
 hygiene. were outlined for each grade. 
 
 While the schools of El Paso have recently made an excellent be- 
 ginning in the matter of health work, it should nevertheless be recog- 
 nized that it is- only a beginning and that the schools in general are 
 not so strong in this very important matter as they are in some other 
 particulars. 
 
 XV. COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE. 
 
 \ In the school census taken in March, 1921, there were 19,811 
 school children enumerated as being of school age and therefore right- 
 fully entitled to attend the city schools of El Paso. It is certain that 
 there , were fully as many in December of that year as there were in 
 March and doubtless a few more. 
 
 On December 14, 1921, there were actually enrolled in the El 
 Paso schools 13,013 children. A comparison with the census enumera- 
 tipn shows that on that date there were 6,798 fewer children in the 
 city .schools than there were on the census rolls. 
 
 ;. ; It -was ascertained by the census taker last spring that 4,400 chil- 
 dren are enrolled in the private and parochial schools of the city. This 
 would- make it evident that at least 2,398 children of school age in the 
 city have not been enrolled in any school during the year. 
 
 In other words more than one-third of the school children of the 
 city have -not been in any school during the year, and considerably 
 more than one-eighth have not been enrolled in any school at all. 
 
 This is in despite of the fact that the State laws of Texas require 
 that every pupil up to fourteen years of age shall attend school un- 
 less legally excused. 
 
 (53) 
 
It is startling to note that between a fourth and a fifth of all the 
 school children of the city are enrolled in private schools. It may 
 as well be recognized that but for these private schools the city would 
 this year be absolutely unable to care for its school children. It is 
 perfectly right and proper for any parent to send his children to a 
 good private school if he prefers to do so, but it is altogther wrong 
 and improper for him to have to send them there when he does not 
 desire because of the lack of facilities in the public schools. 
 
 It is doubtless the case that many parents are sending to the 
 private schools on account of religious views. It is also probably true 
 that some are sending on account of the overcrowding conditions in 
 the public schools. When one-third of all the children in the elemen- 
 tary schools of the city are on part-time attendance it is hardly worth 
 while to expect many additional children. 
 
 This is one reason why no very serious effort seems to be made in 
 El Paso to enforce the compulsory attendance laws of the State. It is 
 true that there are two attendance officers, one of whom gives most 
 of his time to work among the Mexican children and the other of whom 
 works chiefly among the Americans. It is also true that these men 
 have succeeded in placing in school a considerable number of children 
 who would probably not have been there otherwise. These men have 
 also been of considerable service as truant officers, helping the schools 
 to keep track of the irregular or unexcused absences. 
 
 The compulsory attendance laws of the State are full of loop holes. 
 They afford many opportunities for a parent who wishes to keep his 
 children out of school to avoid the law. It is further true that many 
 of the judicial officers of the State are not in sympathy with the spirit 
 of the compulsory law. Consequently the law is not rigidly enforced 
 throughout the State as a whole and in El Paso the enforcement is 
 less than in most portions of the State. There have been no prosecu- 
 tions in the city for violation of the law and consequently no penalties 
 inflicted, although the figures show that both the letter and the spirit 
 of the law are being violated to a considerable extent. 
 
 However, it is worthy of remark in passing that the enactment of 
 the compulsory education law has in itself been a help, notwithstand- 
 ing the laxity in the law's enforcement. As one principal of the El 
 Paso schools remarked, "The compulsory attendance law is only a great 
 big bluff, but it has been a helpful bluff nevertheless. Formerly I was 
 almost by myself in making the bluff but now I have an officer with a 
 blue coat and a silver star to help me bluff. 
 
 When one-third of all the children in the elementary schools of 
 the city are already on part-time attendance, it would be futile to ad- 
 vise rigid enforcement of the compulsory education law. In other 
 words it is useless to try to compel children to come to school when 
 the schools cannot take care of the children they have. The recom- 
 
 (54) 
 
mendation in this case is that the city first provide the facilities to 
 take care of the school children and after that take steps to compel 
 every child of compulsory school age who is not in some school, to 
 
 attend school. 
 
 XVI. RECORDS AND REPORTS. 
 
 The El Paso schools have a somewhat elaborate system of records 
 and reports,- and have printed forms for the making of these. There 
 is one card used which gives the complete record of each child during 
 the years he is in the El Paso school system. These cards are kept 
 at the buildings which the children attend. If the child is transferred 
 his card is transferred with him. 
 
 One weakness in the system is that when inquiry is made con- 
 cerning some specific child it is difficult to locate the information unless 
 the building which the child attends is known. Such inquiries are 
 not infrequently made when children move to other states and wish to 
 secure a record of their school work in El Paso for use either in de- 
 termining their standing in school or obtaining clearance papers to 
 allow them exemption from school work. 
 
 Some years ago a transcript of the names of the children at the 
 various buildings was filed in the superintendent's office, but during 
 recent years this process has been discontinued. It is therefore at 
 present easier to find information concerning children who attended 
 the El Paso schools twenty years ago than concerning those who at- 
 tended ten years ago. Whether the demand for such information is 
 sufficiently great to justify the extra labor required in tabulating in 
 the central office is a question for the school authorities to consider 
 carefully in the light of their actual experience. It is a fact however, 
 that without the central file the information is not altogether complete. 
 
 Formerly a card was kept giving detailed information concern- 
 ing the health of each school child. The use of this card has also been 
 discontinued. 
 
 One feature of the matter of reports is that every day each prin- 
 cipal sends to the superintendent's office certain information showing 
 the number enrolled, the number belonging, the number present, the 
 number absent and the number tardy in each school room, with the 
 totals for the building, and with the hour of the teacher's arrival at 
 school certified by the signature of the teacher. While it is desirable 
 and necessary that the superintendent's office should receive the figures 
 at stated times concerning enrollment and attendance, it would hardly 
 seem necessary that he receive this information every day. The making 
 of this daily report must be more or less burdensome and apparently 
 might be dispensed with. 
 
 (55) 
 
A printed form is used to give to each teacher her notice of elec- 
 tion; to set forth the details concerning the employment and to serve 
 as- a contract. There is also a printed form which the teacher may 
 detach and return with her signature to signify her acceptance of the 
 position. 
 
 The pupils monthly report cards used in the elementary grades 
 contain a scale for grading ^comprised in four letters: "E" for excellent, 
 90-100 per cent; "G" for 'good, 80-90 per cent; "P" for poor, 70-80 
 per cent; ".F" for failure. In the high school these letters are not 
 used but the grading is on the basis of the decimal or percentage scale. 
 
 The general tendency in good schools is away from the decimal 
 system of grading toward the indicating of merely the broader general 
 classifications of standing. For instance if you state that one stu- 
 dent is good and another is excellent, everyone knows what that dif- 
 ference means. On the other hand if you state that one pupil has a 
 standing of 78 per cent and another one of 79 per cent, it is hard to 
 grasp the real meaning of this distinction. The pupils are evidently 
 considered of almost equal standing, but whether they are both poor, 
 both medium or both excellent depends almost totally upon the system 
 of grading used or upon the personal equation of the one who gave 
 the grade. 
 
 There seems to have been a considerable amount of discussion in 
 regard to the grades given in the high school and just what the figures 
 of percentage mean, in such cases. The matter might be simplified 
 if no effort were made to indicate minute differences and if only broad 
 genera] differences were pointed out. If the four letters used in the 
 grade schools are not considered sufficient a scheme of five symbols 
 could readily be devised, such as a, b, c, d, e; 5, 4, 3, 2,. 1; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 
 these symbols could, if desired, be accompanied by a scale of approxi- 
 mate equivalents in percentages. The matter is respectfully referred 
 for the consideration of the school authorities. 
 
 Last summer the financial report of the schools was published in 
 a special pamphlet, but the annual report of the superintendent has 
 not been printed as a separate volume for several years. It is recom- 
 mended that each year a small volume be published giving the super- 
 intendent's annual report, including the important statistics of the 
 school for the year. This same volume should include the financial re- 
 port and the report of at least some of the supervisors of the schools. 
 
 The issuance of his annual volume would seem to be an important 
 matter, ft is 'valuable as a means for placing before the public the 
 needs of the school and also a record of its accomplishments. It is 
 also valuable as being a part of the permanent records of the schools. 
 It is highly desirable that there be on file such a permanent record of 
 the history of the schools for each year of their operation. 
 
 (56) 
 
XVII. SUMMARY OF CONCLUSION 
 
 The fourteen divisions of this report preceding have been devoted 
 to a study of fourteen of the vital items affecting the welfare and the 
 efficiency of a school system. This particular subdivision is intended 
 to give a summary of the conclusions reached in regard to each one of 
 these features. 
 
 1. The outstanding facts concerning the city of El Paso itself so 
 far as they have any special bearing upon its school system is that 
 it is a city of very rapid growth, having practically doubled in size 
 in ten years; that it is so situated as to be largely isolated from other 
 of the larger cities; that almost 60 per cent of its people are of Mexi- 
 can birth or extraction; that its population contains elements differing 
 largely in race, in religion, in political sentiments, in language, in 
 wealth; that its proximity to Mexico gives it certain international ''m- 
 portance and international duties such as few other cities in America 
 possess. 
 
 2. The organization of the school system is somewhat anomalous 
 in that while it is supposed to be organized as an independent school 
 district, no record of the date or even of the fact of such organization 
 can be found. As a result it has certain disadvantages not found in 
 the organization of other school systems, and seems to lack certain 
 financial powers conferred by the general school laws of the State upon 
 cities whose status as independent school districts is clearly determined. 
 
 3. The school board is elected from the city at large under the 
 general school laws of the State. Of the present ooard members one 
 has served for five and one-half years, one for a year and a half, and 
 the other five for less than a year. The board seems in general in- 
 clined to leave the administration of educational affairs in the hands 
 of the superintendent. 
 
 4. More money is needed for the support of the schools. This 
 might be supplied in either one of three ways: By increasing the rate of 
 school taxation through vote of the people, by supplemental appropri- 
 ations from general revenues made by the city commission, or by 
 raising the percentage of the rendition of values for taxation. The 
 salary schedule in the city is as good as the average in the state but 
 not as good as the best. 
 
 f>. There is an excellent high school building although it is not 
 so large as the needs of the city require. The school buildings for 
 elementary school purposes are altogether inadequate to meet the needs 
 of the city. 'As a result one-third of the children in the elementary 
 schools are attending for only a portion of the time. Practically all 
 the school grounds are smaller than they ought to be. There are only 
 ihree really modern up-to-date public school buildings in the city; 
 namely the High School, Manhattan, and Alta Vista. The primary 
 
 (57) 
 
rooms are equipped with rigid school desks though the kindergartens 
 have movable tables and chairs. Most of the buildings, though not 
 all, are well lighted and ventilated. Some of the toilets are old but 
 are kept as well as could be expected under the circumstances. The 
 common drinking cup is not in use in the schools. 
 
 6. The supervision in the El Paso schools is adequate in quan- 
 tity and creditable in quality, so far as the grade schools are concerned. 
 Some of these departments should be extended to include work in the 
 high school. Most of the meetings of the supervisors with groups of 
 teachers are held on one specific day in the month. 
 
 7. There are 441 teachers in the El Paso schools. Most of these 
 are well prepared, competent and efficient, though the records filed in 
 the State Department of Education for the last year suggest that the 
 requirements of a degree for high school teachers and two years of 
 normal school training for elementary teachers have not in the past 
 been strictly complied with. There are not enough men teachers in 
 the high school. The teachers in the elementary schools have made 
 heroic efforts to overcome the handicap of part-time attendance caused 
 by inadequate school facilities. 
 
 S. The course of study largely follows that prescribed by the 
 State Department of Education. This is due largely to State uni- 
 formity of text books. Some modification is made for the children of 
 the Mexican district, but still more should be made. 
 
 9. The use of the Ayres Scale of Spelling shows that the El Paso 
 school children make creditable record in spelling as compared with 
 the children in other cities. The Beall School in the Mexican dis- 
 trict made the best record in spelling in the city. The papers of the 
 children are in general neatly written and creditably prepared. The 
 distribution of the children by grades shows that the percentage of 
 children in the Mexican district tends to diminish as the grades go up. 
 
 10. The schools are organized into the following departments: 
 Kindergartens, primary department, intermediate department, high 
 school, junior college, special classes, extension schools. The third 
 grade is classed with the intermediate department. There is a special 
 class for deaf pupils but none for subnormal pupils. The Junior Col- 
 lege is a characteristic feature of the El Paso schools and one de- 
 serving much commendation. 
 
 11. Under the head of Extension Schools there are 829 people 
 enrolled in night schools and 201 in the vocational classes receiving 
 Smith-Hughes aid. These schools are doing good work but there 
 should be more of them. 
 
 12. Among the organizations in the community co-operating to 
 some extent with the schools are the Parent-Teacher Associations, 
 Young Men's Business League, the Rotary Club and the Kiwanis Club. 
 
 (58) 
 
These have done good work but there yet remains much work which 
 they can do. The co-operation in the matter of additional health 
 work in the schools is specifically suggested. 
 
 13. Not a great deal is being done in El Paso in the wider use of 
 the school plant. There are night schools, summer schools and parent- 
 teachers associations, but little is done in the way of community coun- 
 cils, community forums, the use of the school as a social center or 
 the use of the school grounds as public playgrounds. 
 
 14. Some good work is being done in safeguarding the health 
 of the school children, but there is not enough of it. The city phy- 
 sician paid by the city, devotes half of his time to health work in the 
 schools. One trained nurse is employed by the board on full time. 
 Two untrained workers, known as hygienists give valuable help. An 
 extra physician furnished by the city helps vaccinate the children. 
 Other physicians help on a volunteer basis. 
 
 If). There is very slight effort being made to enforce the laws 
 of compulsory school attendance. This is largely due to the present 
 lack of sufficient school buildings. There are 4,400 children in private 
 and parochial schools in the city almost one out of four. There are 
 at least 2,400 children of school age in the city who have not this 
 year attended any school. 
 
 16. A fairly complete system of records and reports is kept in 
 the various departments of the school. The annual report made by 
 the City Superintendent has in the last several years been printed in 
 newspapers but has not been published as a separate volume. 
 
 XVIII. RECOMMENDATIONS 
 
 It is, of course, perfectly clear that the value of any school survey 
 depends largely upon the value of the specific recommendations made. 
 If the result of these recommendations is specific betterment of the 
 schools, then the survey has been worth while. If no results follow 
 then the time, money and effort expended in the survey have been 
 largely wasted. 
 
 However, it is not to be expected that every single recommenda- 
 tion made as a result of the study will be put into effect. Part of them 
 will be disregarded for financial reasons. About some of them there 
 may be differences of opinion. The most that can be asked is that 
 the school board, the school officials and the citizens generally consider 
 the recommendations very carefully and put into effect such of them 
 as they may consider feasible and worth while. 
 
 It is in this spirit that the following specific suggestions are re- 
 spectfully submitted : 
 
 (59) 
 
1. It is recommended that in the entire administration of public 
 school affairs in the city of El Paso, the salient features of the city itself 
 be kept in mind: specifically the task of meeting the needs of large 
 numbers of Mexican children, helping them to the right kind of Ameri- 
 canization and thus incidentally helping to establish the right kind 
 of international sentiments between the republic of the United States 
 and Mexico. 
 
 2. It is recommended that steps be taken to clear up the un- 
 certainty as to the exact legal status of the independent school dis- 
 trict of El Paso. Probably the easiest way to do this would be by an 
 amendment to the city charter specifically recognizing that the inde- 
 pendent school district is organized under the general school laws of 
 the State and hence possesses all the rights and powers conferred on 
 such districts by these laws, along with the limitations which these 
 laws impose. This relationship is not a matter of merely academic 
 interest. It is highly important because it involves matters of taxa- 
 tion and of the authority to submit bond issues to be voted upon by 
 the people. 
 
 3. While the people of El Paso differ on questions of partisan 
 politics and religious denominations, and while feeling on such sub- 
 jects is sometimes fairly acute, it is earnestly recommended that neither 
 sectarian nor political matters be allowed to enter into questions per- 
 taining to the welfare of the schools. It is earnestly recommended 
 that when school board members are found to be capable and fair- 
 minded they be continued in office long enough to allow them to de- 
 velop continuous and constructive school policies. A deeper and more 
 general public interest in the schools, manifested first of all by a larger 
 vote cast in school board elections, is one of the first requisites to a 
 progressive school administration. 
 
 4. It is recommended that steps be taken to secure more money 
 for the support of the El Paso schools, either by an increase of the 
 amount of the tax rate for school purposes or by an increase of the 
 percentage of the rendition of property for taxation. Steps should be 
 taken to make it practicable for more of the teachers to actually reach 
 the theoretical maximum in the schedule of salaries. This maximum 
 should be reached in a shorter time than ten years. 
 
 The business department should be reorganized so as not to over- 
 lap the educational department, though it should be under the general 
 direction of the superintendent. One person and one only should be 
 authorized to make purchases of any kind. A written order should 
 be given with any purchase. No bill should be approved unless ac- 
 companied by this written order. The one person who can make pur- 
 chases should be recognized as the head of the business department 
 of the schools. Preferably he should not be connected with the edu- 
 cational department. 
 
 (60) 
 
-5. Of the $500,000 soon to become available for elementary 
 school buildings, at least 60 per cent should in accordance with the 
 needs of the case be spent in the Mexican district of the city. 
 
 The money should be spent almost totally for new buildings and 
 sites, and not for additions to present buildings, since in most instances 
 the grounds and present buildings are inadequate. 
 
 In the future no site should be purchased for a school of any 
 size unless that site contains the equivalent of two city blocks. In 
 cases where it is possible, 'present school grounds should be added to. 
 
 It is recommended that the general policy be followed of not 
 having any elementary school with the enrollment exceeding 1,000 
 pupils. When 2,000 pupils are enrolled, as is at present the case at 
 the Aoy School, a new building should be provided in a suitable loca- 
 tion but not immediately connected with the present school. 
 
 The general ideal of adequacy should be to have enough buildings 
 to allow every child in the city above the grade of the kindergarten 
 to attend school for the entire school day. If any exception is made 
 to this rule it should be in the case of the American children in the 
 first half of their first year at school. 
 
 The board through its own committees, and through co-operative 
 committees of other bodies should make a careful study of the avail- 
 able grounds in the city in the light of school enrollment and should 
 undertake to get options on sites which are now needed or will soon 
 be needed. 
 
 It should be frankly recognized that the $500,000 soon to be 
 available for school buildings as a result of the bond issue will not be 
 sufficient to properly take care of all the children in the city. Steps 
 should be taken as soon as possible looking to the obtaining of addi- 
 tional money. 
 
 In the future all permanent school buildings constructed for ele- 
 mentary school purposes should be of fireproof construction and should 
 possess suitable auditoriums. 
 
 Primary rooms should be equipped with movable tables and chairs 
 rather than with rigid school desks. 
 
 6. It is recommended that the third grade be considered part of 
 the primary department and under the primary supervisor. 
 
 It is recommended that grade and departmental meetings be not 
 held on the same date as the general institute meetings; and that stated 
 office hours of the supervisors be printed in such form as to be avail- 
 able for all the teachers. 
 
 7. It is recommended that in the future the requirement be 
 rigidly adhered to that teachers elected to places in the elementary 
 schools shall have two years of preparation above graduation from 
 the high school and that teachers in high school have at least four 
 
 (61) 
 
years of such additional training, leading to a college or university 
 degree. 
 
 8. It is recommended that still greater adaptation be made in 
 the course of study for the purpose of meeting the needs of the Mexi- 
 can children. The special that should be stressed in the school work 
 of these children are (a) English in all its necessary phases, (b) sub- 
 jects in which the children are specially gifted, (c) extra work along 
 industrial lines, specifically more cooking and sewing for the girls. 
 
 In the high school physics should precede chemistry, physical edu- 
 cation should be made compulsory, and the vocational subjects should 
 be recognized as of at least equal value with the academic subjects 
 in the matter of graduating credits. The work of the Junior College 
 should be continued and strengthened. 
 
 9. More use of the standard scale should be made for the measure- 
 ments of the results of the instruction in the common school branches. 
 
 10. Steps should be taken looking to the establishment at some 
 time in the near future of two junior high schools, one north of the 
 tracks and one south of the tracks. With this in mind the course 
 of study should be reorganized on the basis of six years in the ele- 
 mentary schools, two or three in junior high school, and three or two 
 in the senior high school. The present beginning of a junior high 
 school at Manhattan is a step in the right direction. This reorganiza- 
 tion will result in good for the course of study and will also help solve 
 the question of additional room for the high school. 
 
 11. There should be more night schools and more vocational 
 classes. Still greater emphasis should be laid upon the matter of 
 teaching English to adult foreigners. 
 
 12. The organization of community councils with the school- 
 house as the center, should be encouraged. The use of the school 
 grounds as a public playground should be greatly extended. 
 
 18. The co-operation of such bodies as Parent-Teachers Asso- 
 ciations, the Rotary Club, the Kiwanis Club and the Young Men's 
 Business League should be welcomed, encouraged and stimulated. The 
 specific subject of health work in the schools is suggested as affording 
 great opportunities for definite co-operating. 
 
 14. There should in general be more health work in the schools 
 than there is. 
 
 A physician should be employed on full time. 
 
 There should be more than one school nurse. At least four are 
 necessary. If some of these were furnished by the Red Cross, the 
 city or some private organization, it would be well worth while. 
 
 The work of the two hygienists should be continued. 
 
 A definite schedule should be prepared setting forth the length 
 of time which must elapse after exposure to contagious disease before 
 a child can be readmitted to school. There should be one person, and 
 
 (62) 
 
only one authorized to decide when children shall be excluded and 
 when they may be readmitted. 
 
 The weighing and measurement of school children should be con- 
 tinued and extended. The work of physical education should be 
 strengthened. There should be more supervised play on the school 
 grounds both during the school days and out of hours. 
 
 15. After more adequate school facilities have been provided, 
 steps should be taken for the better enforcement of the compulsory 
 attendance laws. 
 
 16. A record of the work of all the school children should be kept 
 in the superintendent's office, as a transcript of the summary already 
 on file in the offices of the principals. 
 
 The detailed daily report of the principals to the superintendent 
 might be done away with and the monthly report allowed to take its 
 place. 
 
 The annual report of the superintendent, embracing finances, sta- 
 tistics and general information concerning the school and its depart- 
 ments, should be published in a special volume each year. This 
 volume will serve the double purpose of a means for putting the schools 
 before the public and acting as a permanent record of the progress 
 of the schools. 
 
 (63) 
 
FINALLY. 
 
 It would be impossible for a conscientious and intelligent visitor 
 to inspect the El Paso schools without coming to the conclusion that 
 taken all in all the system is a good one, although it is capable of im- 
 provement in certain specified instances. 
 
 The part-time evil is the most noticeable one and this can be cor- 
 rected in part though not in whole by the proceeds of the recent 
 bond issue. 
 
 The general spirit of the school and its methods of instruction are 
 as a whole greatly superior to the material facilities with which it 
 works. 
 
 Out of all the thousands of papers from pupils of the schools 
 which I have examined in connection with this study, I have selected 
 one as illustrative of the spirit of the pupil. It comes from a fifth 
 grade boy at Aoy School. It is well written and is given as follows: 
 
 Room 28, Aoy School, 
 El Paso, Texas, Dec. 15, 1921. 
 MR. P. W. HORN, 
 EL PASO, TEXAS. 
 DEAR SIR: 
 
 I am very happy because you visited Aoy School, 
 and also other schools of El Paso. 
 
 I am going to tell you the things that I like about 
 the United States. 
 
 The first thing that I am obliged for is the educa- 
 tion that the United States gives me. I like its libraries, 
 the parks, and especially the swimming pools where in 
 the summer one has a very happy time. Also I like the 
 scenery, the climate, the people and the government. 
 I hope you will come and visit our school again. 
 
 Your friend, 
 
 FIDEL BARRON. 
 
 There is material in this letter which it will be worth while for 
 the citizens of El Paso to think over very carefully. 
 
 (64) 
 
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