The Portland daily press., 1872-01-17
The Schools Of Portland.
Report OF the Sub & ommittee ON Ia
creased school Accomm o dafions at the
West End of the City.
In BOARD OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE,

1
In BOARD OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE, I
| January 10, 1872.
The special committee to whom was referred
the matter of school accommodations in the
western portion of the city, with the view to
| ascertain whether increased or improved ac-
| commodations are required for the comfort and
convenience of children attending the public
schools in that section of the city, having had
the subject under consideration, beg leave to
Report That they have carefully considered
| the subject matter committed to them, and
having Investigated present accommodations Tor
purposes in the western section OF the city
arrive at conclusions fully justifying the gen
] eral complaint on the part of citizens that, i'll
| view OF the advance in methods of construc-
ton, ventilation and heating of structures for
the use of public schools in large cities a new
departure in that respect in this city is mpera-
| lively demanded; and in view also of the
| fact that the people who pay the bills have a
| right to be consulted and through their proper
| representatives to determine what if any ac-
| ton should be taken, your committee entered
| upon the investigation of the subject commit
| ted to them with no preconceiyed opinions, but
with the sole idea of arriving at existing facts
that should justify them in any recommended
| tions they night feel called upon to make to
this Board, and that should the Board deem it
wise to act upon the same it might stand justi-
fed in the eyes of the general public.
We find that west of Preble and Cotton SITS.
there are some fifteen hundred (1500) children,
probably more than that number, for whom
school facilities are furnished by the city. The
Primary rooms on Casco and Spring SITS, are, in
the main, rooms of good size, but badly venti-
lated, and being heated with wood burned in
common box stoves, are necessarily imperfectly
racs sdSally yn Ws1hSt and dYarmed The primary
whole, are entirely unsuited, and positively
unsuitable for the purposes intended, some of
them when sufficiently warmed to be comforta-
BILE in all parts, being, from their contracted
size, little else than sweat boxes, and, from the
impossibility of proper ventilation not inaptly
characterized as fever traps.
The primary rooms in Brackett street are
better in all respects than those just named,
but entirely inadequate to the number of
scholars attending, and, in addition to the pois-
ened atmosphere arising from huddling
many children together in the various rooms
with no possible means of ventilation except
through the windows and doors-are at times
subjected to further serious trouble OCCASION
ed by too close proximity to privies aggravated
in certain states of the weather.
The primary rooms in Park ST. are open to
the same general complaint of imperfect heat
ing and absence of proper ventilation, except
such as may be obtained from raising or lower
ing windows practice always reprehensible,
as in such instances more or less of the children
are subjected to direct draft upon their heads.
In the twenty Primary rooms named we find
an average of tifty-nine scholars each-most of
them containing from sixty to eighty-six each,
under the charge of one teacher-whie it Is be-
lieved that for effective teaching and training
not more than forty or forty-fiye scholars should
ever be entrusted to the care of one teacher,
and certainly no larger number should ever be-
allowed to occupy one room under the best sys-
TEN of heating and ventilation hitherto de-
vised.
The grammar rooms in Park St. and Brack-
EFT St. admit of only what may be termed good
accommodations for portion of the children
attending those schools.
The system of construction being that of one
main room of sufficient size to contain all the
pupils, with class or recitation rooms, made
quate in number, to and from some Of which
classes are almost necessarily going or return
ing to the great disturbance of those scholars
retained in the main room-occasioning also "a
very considerable waste of time, some of the
rooms in each of those buildings used as class
rooms are altogether too small, were never in
tended for such use, and are only SO used from
absolute necessity. Some having been intended
only for cloak rooms, but from the necessities
of the case have long been used both as cloak
and recitation rooms. All of the rooms in
those two school houses are heated with wood
burned in what are known as cast-iron box
stoves, often forced to that degree that the iron
is at red heat No possible means of ventila-
ton are provided-Other than such as may be
obtained from opening the windows or doors
always severe draft upon the vitality of thoso
sitting near, while, in order to heat all portions
of the large rooms, and larger class rooms, the
fires must be driven to such an extent as to
make it perfect torture to those whose seats
are in close proximity; at the same time in dis
tant portions of the rooms are scarcely comfort
able. But in the smaller class rooms before al
luded to, the atmosphere is vitiated by the
large number of children crowded into them,
coupled with the-at times-intense heat aris-
ing from such an imperfect method of heating.
as to render them entirely unfit for such use,
not to say dangerous in an alarming degree to
the vitality of those children unfortunate
enough to be subjected to such deleterious in
fluences.
In view of the foregoing, your committee are OF
the opinion that the exigencies of the case de-
mand an immediate reform. Were it possible
to bring about the necessary change in method"
of ventilation and heating the several houses
named, now occupied for school purposes, the
cost of such alterations, and the expense incl
dent to proper care and attention to cause the
good effects thereof to be available thereafter
would be so considerable as to induce US to
pause and inquire if some other way may no1
be preferable.
Having carefully considered this point, your
committee are of the opinion'that the time has
fully come when this Board should recommend
to the city council the building of q school
house in the western portion of the city, which
shall be eqnal to the accommodation OF all or
nearly all, the children alluded to in this re-
port, wherein may be grouped the best and most
improved physical conditions, together with the
possibility of as perfect sanitary regulations as
science has yet been able to point out or attain
To this end your Committee suggest, and
recommend the building of q school House in
the western portion of the city, on tha
general plan of the North school house, for the
organization of a similar school to the one oc-
cupying that building. with grammar and pri-
mary departments, to be under one head, en-
bracng what are now known as Park and
Brackett streets grammar schools, Primaries
| Nos. 6 Z and with perhaps portionaof Nos.
| and 4, abandoning to sale such of the property
thus vacated as the city might deem advisable
In this way it is believed a house may be erect
ed in some good lot combining all the desira-
BILE features of the North school-house, with
| such Improvements as time and experience may
have suggested, at comparatively small cost
| over proceeds that may be derived from sale OF
| property given up,
To this Board argument is unnecessary to-
show the good results attainable in schools con-
| Quoted on the principle or system OF the North
| School. Each recurring examination fully sus-
tains and jastifies the Board in its adoption,
.and the fact that when teacher is wanted to
fill almost any vacancy all eyes are turned to
the corps employed in that school, is abundant
evidence of the good effect the system is be
Geved to have upon the development of the
teaching capacity of teachers employed therein.
! Acting upon the plan herein recommended the
| school system of the city will be rendered more
| compact, and of course more efficient in proper
| ton as it is condensed and brought more i'm
mediately under the influence and control OF
| leading educational minds The small schools
| combined into large ones will render the task
| of supervision less Onerous, while 1t will be
made more complete and effective, and the
whole system of public instruction in our COM
mon schools it is believed, will be largely I'M
proved
We present herewith rough plan, shOwin
| the proposed arrangement of rooms on each
| floor, together with side elevation indicating
the general appearance of such building, cost
of construction of which, including heating ap-
| paratus, water fixtures, &c, but excluding fur
niture, is roughly estimated at $4,000; while it
is estimated that the sale of property vacated
| by the adoption of the plan herein suggested,
| would net the city not less than $4,000
| Your committee recommend the passage Oh
the accompanying order
LEWIS B. SMITH, Committee
In BOARD OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE,
JANY. 18th, 1872 !