County Schools Have 800 More Students Than Last Year, Sept. 21, 1924

County School System Has Big Enrollment Increase. . . Officials Hard Put to Handle 800 Additional Pupils Who Overflow New Buildings Erected During Summer—New Teachers Added and Trucks Made Double Trips—New North Side Building Not Enough to Relieve Pressure

“Citizens of Durham county have no idea how rapidly their school system is growing,” said Luther H. Barbour, of the county schools office, Saturday in estimating the increase in enrollment for the present school term of 1924 as at least 800 over the figures for the school year 1923-24.

The increase in enrollment is reflected more or less accurately in the book charges for last year and this year. During the whole of the school year of 1923-24 charges for books in the county schools totaled $15,000. Already the charges have reached the $7,000 mark for 1924-25, and the schools are just getting under way.

The problems of taking care of the overflow of pupils is one of the most pressing that now faces the school administration. It seems impossible to keep a jump ahead of increased enrollment in the matter of building. All the new buildings erected since the first of the present year are filled to capacity and before another year is passed thought must be given to additions to buildings have been in use but one year.

The new Bahama school, built during the past summer, opened last week with an enrollment of 230 that taxed all of the six new rooms to capacity. The same situation prevails at the new Mangum township school.

To take care of the anticipated overflow in West Durham’s temporary wooden structure of six rooms was put up during the summer months. Officials thought that the new building would amply provide for any ordinary increase. But again enrollment figures surprised all the teachers. In spite of the new buildings at the North Side school the old basement rooms have been pressed into use again, and at South Side it has been found necessary to use the school store-room.

In order to cope with the situation, officials have ordered 15 of the score of county trucks to double their routes and make an extra trip a day. Ten new teachers were added to the school roster prior to the opening of school, anticipating a large increase. But it has been found necessary to add yet another two teachers since the opening of the schools two weeks ago. The large batch of new desks ordered have proved to be insufficient and a telegraphed order brought in an extra 150 desks on Saturday. What is worrying school officials is the fact that at least 10 percent of the county system have not yet entered school this term, being engaged in harvesting on the farms. When this wave of students sets in, the county administration will be hard put to find room for them, and bogey man of new buildings will bob up again.

From page 2 of the Sunday Durham Herald, Sept. 21, 1924

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