Litchfield enquirer., 1846-10-22
RE PORT OF A COMMITTEE ON
THE CENTRE SCHOOL IN THE
VILLAGE OF LTCCHEIELn


y. The Committee appointed at an adjourned
meeting Of the let School District in Litch-
6sld, held Oct. lst. 1876, to report this eve-
ming plan for dividing the school, for making
such alterations as may be desirable, together
with statement q the expense thsse aitera-
tions wsHld involve. respectfully present the
following facts and considerations.
The number Of children within the limits OF
= the disirict between the ages Of four and six
tssn yeafs Is about I25. The number actually
attending the school during the winter session
Of SIS was between 80 and 90. and all I'M
Der theeare Of single teacher. and that teach.
Or a lady. The school room, with its present
arrangements, will furnish indifferent arcom-
mOdatiQns 30 Tar as mere seats are concerned
for about l0) scholars The annual amount of
msney received by the District from the school
/ fund Of the State is about $500, while, at the
lowest calculation. there is paid every year Tor
4 private tuition the sum Of $500. OF twice the a.
! mount distributed by the State, making an ag'
gregalesOf $500 which is every year expended
Zoe tuition in this district alone. ..f ..
r In view Of those facts, the Committee are
] decidedly Of opinion that the school should be
divided without delay, and room provided for
t&Ne accommodation Of at least two schools. II
'-Ss obvious that the school house as now situa-
:. esd cannot even contain all the children in
che district, much less furnish them with AIDE :
quate means al Instruction.. But were the
house Of suficieIt capacity 10 receive within
Ia al al he rLsllrS, ;ronoSa;hsn for
e one teacher pro6tabiy 10 govern and instruct
. such an assemblage Of pupils, Of so many dit.
fereut ages and stages Of improvement. or even
so or 80, the number usually in attendance du.
r ring the winter season. FViy scholars are as
mqny as should roer be snIrWsted to tie care
of sne teacher, and even then they should be
Of an age to be easily classified. The Commit
/. tee therefore earnestly recommend that the
school be divided, and that in cases where it is
I advisable the children under eight years be
committed to the care of lady, while all over
eight be instructed By gentleman.
AS additional space will be required to carry
this plan into operation, the committee as ear.
hssily recommend that the roof If the present
house be raised so as to make the building two
stories, and that in the second story rom
he finished for the reception Of the primary de.
pavtmcnt Of the school As the house is fort,
f"et in iehg,h aud twenty feet in breadth, the
chamber would make two rooms each twent.
feet square, and each large enough to seat al
least IS or 40 scholars, but rs only one room
Will he required at present, j, will be necessa.
ry to tinish but one. This whole expense Of
raising the root, putting in widows to CORES.
i'ond with those in the lower story. inshing
rooin twenty feet square erecting the seats and
desks, and painting the uew part inside and
cut, will be only $i4o, this being the sum for
which an experienced builder ia this yilag,
has offered to do the woik.
The Committee have alSs obtained an csi
mate from the same ron LEHMAN fer insl. ng
r"n in the garrett Of the school house, the cos,
OF which would be $15 but To this plan Their.
arr, in the judgment OF yous committee, insu-
pSrabte objections. In the first place, M the
room would lie directly und.r the roof. which
~ summer would be exposed TO the urnitisa'
Ted rays at a burning SUI, the heat at that sea.
that for this reason the room would be sooner
or later abandoned as uninhabiiable. Then To-
room thus warm, contracted and lily vcntila.
ted, parents would not send their children, en-
except from absolute necessity, and the districl
would thus have utterly failed to provide &C.
cOmmodations which would be onsidrred adc-
quatc, attractive and comfortable; while more.
over, we should by nneans Of these imperfect
! and insufficient alterations throw an insureIa.
bic obstacle in the way Of future improve
ments i'll the building. Let the garrett once BE-
modified as is proposed. and We shall have this
ill.constructed. incOnvenicnt sci. col house fas.
tened upon Us for years TO come for should it
hereafter be proposed to raise the roof, the oh.
,jectian would at once be urged, that any further
alterations would only rcnd-r useless tho ex.
mi.tee would indulge the>hope, that the time
is not very far distant. when the inhabitants of
this village will give TO our common schools
the attention they SO imperiously demand, and
in anticipation Of this awakened interest. your
: committee cannot wilingi! throw any addition.
al hindrances in the way OF its exercise, The
little we do, let US Go well, and not by short
sighted policy tie our owo hands and the hands
Of our successors.
p, For these reasons, and Cor others which will
soon be mentioned, the committee cannot bu,
greatly prefer the plan which proposes 10 ele.
vate the roof. and to provide room which
would be convenient and pleasant, sufficiently
protected from the rays Of the sun and easily
furnished with wholesome air Compared
with the Importance Of the object The expense
appears to be very triAing. The children Of
vie district would then be provided with two
; good school rooms in which two good schools
could be supported by the money derived from
the school fund, and these for the boneht OF
all classes and conditions Of society.
Under the operation Of Il e present system,
the instruction impaired in the school must Of