Brackenridge High School - La Retama Yearbook (San Antonio, TX)

Page 10 text:

Computer ends 'regis-rush’ ABOVE: Like many Brackites who came prepared for the annual “registration rush,” Josephine (L) and Bernadine Castillo were pleasantly surprised by the computerized scheduling of classes which took the “rush” out of “signing up.” RIGHT: Mrs. Ester Fuller, counselor for the business-technical unit, explains why no schedule changes can be made until after all students have registered. MIDDLE RIGHT: Dean J. D. Brown (foreground) discusses a schedule conflict with Elvira Cervantes (R) as Dean Allen D. Dockery answers a question brought up by Betty Pecina. FAR RIGHT TOP: Members of the Purple Jackets line up in book room prior to registration to help with the distribution of texts. FAR RIGHT BOTTOM: Purple Jacket, Josie Montez (L), helps two new Brackites, Jesse Ortega (C) and Roy Granado, find their way through the crowded halls during August registration. 6

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 Attendance zones set for high schools Perhaps the biggest change of the year was the establishment of high school attendance zones, which was brought about by a Department of Health, Education, and Welfare order. HEW charged the San Antonio Independent School District had not met federal guidelines on desegregation through its “freedom of choice” plan at the high school level, and ordered the district to come up with a plan to desegregate or face loss of federal government dollars. The board complied by setting up attendance zones for high school students. It also developed a plan to more fully integrate faculties. HEW denied freedom of choice, because it had not stopped isolation of racial and ethnic groups in a few schools. Brackenridge lost about 200 in total population and ten faculty in the attendance zone shuffle. LEFT: Principal George W. Mahan points out Brack’s attendance zone boundaries on city map. BELOW: A former member of Burbank High School’s Orange Jackets who was rezoned into the Brack area, waits for a conference with the vice principal to see if there is any way she can go back to Burbank. 5

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- Another of the new changes brought about this year was a new method of registration. Students no longer rushed up and down halls and stairs to sign-up for classes; instead, they were each handed a print-out and told to “report to those classes.” This new computerized method not only saved students’ feet from blisters, it also kept the faculty from getting writers’ cramp. Computers were an asset in light of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare order to establish high school attendance zones. Many transfers had to be made and students’ schedules had to be re-programmed for new schools and classes. This time-saving device also made easier many of the tasks of Brack’s administrators. Most of the sophomore choice slips had to be transferred to their appropriate schools. One example was that the choice slips from Page to Highlands had to be transferred to Brack. Vice Principal Harold Singleton said, “As far as computers are concerned, they’re here to stay.” 7