The Scurry Panel survey in 1952, speaking of the possibility and desire for selfgovernment at Los Alamos, recommended against any immediate sale of government-owned
housing or drastic change in the amount of self-government now being carried on. It is
believed that it may well take at least many years to attain a status under which all utilities
and all real estate will be privately owned and operated.

,

The Los Alamos School System
Three elementary schools and a high school in Los Alamos and an elementary school
at White Rock were in operation when the 1949~1950 school year closed. Two large elemen-

tary schools, three four-room neighborhood primary schools, and an intermediate-level
school have been added during the three-year period. The White Rock school was closed.

Mountain Elementary School and Little Poplar School, in the North Community, were
opened in September 1950, Aspen Elementary School, also in the North Community, was

placed in service in the Spring semester of 1951,

Two additional four-room units—Little

Valley Primary School in the Mesa School District and an annex to the Mountain School—

followed in the 1951-52 school year.

In September 1952, the first twelve-classroom unit

of the intermediate school, Pueblo, was placed in service to accommodate sixth and seventh

grades from all parts of the town except the Eastern School District and some fifth grade
classes that could not be accommodated in the Mountain School. The four-room Little Forest
Primary School also was completed for use during the 1952-53 school year. The second unit
of the Pueblo Intermediate School, consisting of a multi-purpose facility that will provide
an auditorium-gymnasium and a cafeteria kitchen, was under construction during the Spring

of 1953, for use beginning in September 1953.

' The school-age and pre-school age population statistics continue to show substantially
greater numbers of children in the younger age levels. The rising curve does not level off
until the three- and four-year olds are reached; a tapering-off begins to be evidenced with

o

©

Total

156

351

378

407

409

369

382

309

267

221

Age

13

14

15

16

17

18

Total

134

133

137

150

124

130

217

187

180

N

4

bs

3

to
—_

2

oO

1

-

9

~J

Age

Io

The numbers of children by age-groups in mid-1953 were:
fon

the two-year age-group in 1953.

— 4,641

At the end of the 1952-53 school year the personnel of the Los Alamos County School
System totaled 198 full-time and eight part-time employees, Of the former number, 150
were in teaching positions and positions of educational supervision.
ALEQ
From September 1949, when local schoolofficials first took office, following the
establishment of Los Alamos County by law, until June 1951, the administration of the school
system was the responsibility of a County Board of Education, consisting of a County Super-

intendent of Schools (whose office was elective) and four members appointed jointly by the

Judge of the District Court, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Chairman

of the Board of County Commissioners.

In the Spring of 1951 the objective stated in the

previous three-year report was attained, through enactment by the State Legislature of a new
law applicable only to counties of the sixth class (that is, Los Alamos), under which there was
substituted an elective Board of Educational Trustees of five members, who are empowered
to employ a Superintendent of Schools. The members of the Board of Educational Trustees

eile,

106

a

y/

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