Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-07-04

REPORT.
| The committee school houses, to whom, with
the superintendent, the matter of providing addi-
tional Accommodations for the pupils i'll the center
district OF this city was REFERRED respectfully report,
that they have examined the statistics of the schools
and have sought from other sources the information
which they deem necessary to the formation of
correct Judgment.
They lind in the center district excepting New
Worcester, which, from its isolated position, ac-
commodate none but the children of that village and
immediate vicinity, school houses, furnished with
3O60 seats They also find that in the month of May
OF this year 32S7 pupils were in attendance in the
schools of those ten houses, the number of pupils
exceeding the number of seats by 227, more than
enough to fill four schools with one teacher in each.
Citizens, yet old can remember when one school
house, not larger than the one now in Thomas street.
would have furnished ample accommodations for all
the pupils then in the center district.
The history of the rise and progress of the public
schools of this city is the history of Worcester's
growth, and fame and character. Six school houses
have been erected within the last six years.
No one dould desire better evidence of the mater
al social and moral prosperity of our city than that
we are required to add to our school houses new
one annually
The report of the superintendent for the month
of May shows larger attendance in the schools of
the city than was known in any previous
month. The which cOnspire to effect this sug-
gest the necessity well as the propriety of erect
ing one more school houses in the center district
at the earliest practicable period. The number of
families that have become residents of the city this
year greatly exceeds the number that became resi-
dents last year as is eyinced both by the permits
issued to such families by the superintendent and by
the report of the assessors, which shows that there
- more children in the city between the
ages of five and fifteen years in May 1860, than i'll
May, 1859.
Every improvement in the public schools denotes
their character in the estimation of the citizens who
will not long send their children to private instiu-
tions after being convinced that they are better edu
Gated in the public schools. Our public schools have
recently received large accessons from these
"a result exceedingly gratifying to the friends of
popular education, although it imposes enlarged
demands upon the city treasury. Greater regularity
in the attendance SWpllS the number in schools
considerably beyond what it formerly has been
Your committee are convinced that the above
satisfactorily account for the large increase in
pupils, and indicate that we can only maintain the
high character of our schools by supplying prompt
ly the room that is needed. 1t has been long ago
satisfactorily demonstrated that money judicously
expended in the erection Of school houses and the
support of schools is the best investment a commu-
nifty can make. Every dollar expended by the city
in public education is an inducement to the friends
of public virtue and intelligence wishing desira-
BILE home to become residents and citizens of WOr-
cester Twenty thousand dollars invested in school
houses will add more than five times that sum to
the value of the real estate of the City.
The committee regard the question submitted to
them to be- whether Worcester will furnish tacili-
ties for the education of all her pupils whether
she will exclude part of them from the education
al advantages which have been long her pride, and
for which she enjoys all over the country worthy
fame. The committee believe that Worcester has
now, she has ever had, but TO this
question. Whatever the educational interests OF the
city have heretofore demanded, she has cheertully
granted. We cannot believe that she will hesitate
now. As a temporary expedient, efforts have been
made to rent rooms tor the use of the schools for
which the city has no building, but the efforts have
not been attended with success, and there is no i'm
mediate probability that they will be.
In view of these facts the committee recommend
that the school committee request the city council to
supply the pressing of the Center district for
more school room, by the immediate erection, either
Of one school house for the high school, the
city hall as is practicable or Of two or three small
school houses i'll the sections of the city most need
ing them The committee think that the interests of
IN Ia
subserved, by approprating the Walnut street house
to grammar school purposes and erectinga new one
for the high school.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
L. X. EARLE,
Charles BALLoRD,
WIN. WORKMAN,
THOMAS MAGENNIs
A. IL. BULLOCK,
j. d. L. JONES,
Worcester July 8, 1860. Committee
The circular of Mr.. G. A. Perry, agent of