The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-05
NEW YORK SCHOOL HOUSES.
CROwDTNG THAT YIELDS zYMOrIC
MALIDIES AND DEATH.
The Pcrilr TO which Unonending Children
nre subjected Photograph Taken tn the
Very Heart Of American Civilization.

The PcriIr TO which Unonending Children
are subjected Photograph Taken VA the
Very Heart Of American Civilization.
In conversation with reporter yester-
day, the lady principal Of one Of the primary
schools expressed her views of oyertrowded
schools.
II know that these rooms clnnot he ven;i-
lated" said she, meaning her own school rooms,
"and know there are too many children in
| them now, but they will hold more. aud in the
spring I'll all them up. must keep 10 the av-
| erage attendance, or I may lose SONS OF my
teachers, aud for every teacher that ~ lost $500
IL taken of the school. The teachers divide the
loss among themselves"
The reporter intimated that members Of the
| Board OF Education had told him that those
principals who have the opportunity oft~n
crowd their schools 80 as to increase their sal
aries, and the local boards smile upon the wrong
because theirs Is the d1tv Of appointing the
| teachers. and II IL pleasant to them to havetheir
| patronage increased.
The lady, In reply, acquitted herself OF this
suspicion. Her salary was nxed. she SAID, 9" but
| If add TO tho number OF my classes, increase
| the salaries OF NV assistant and the other
| teachers; aud we all work for money; need
| not deny that
| A Knowledge Of the manner In which prin.
cipals and their assistants are paid will explain
the above case Principals OF primary scno )ls
are paid;
for Chlnrent or leAe vi. 600
toT ~ 70 ~ ..''.,.' ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. loo
For For sol s and YG Observation-Disclosures. 200
follows
40 TO- 59S children ....'...........,... 5000
col and onward OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. isoc
1t must not be inferred that because Of this
incentive all the schools are crowded. The
above scale Of salaries applies only to persons
appointed since February, 1874. Principals and
vce-prncipals who held their positions befoie
| that late receive OF two fixed salaries. tina
lowest being Sl,S2O for the second class schools,
aud the highest, 81, 800 for the Grst class. The
admission Of children at four and Eve years of
age adds hundreds TO the number Of pupils, and
the popularity Of certain schools over Others Is
another cause OF overcrowding.
IL requires two dwelling houses to hold tho
surplus classes that are taneht IN the primary
y department Oi Grammar School -, in Forty
second street. These houses ara three stories
high and contain six classes, the front and back
| rooms III each story being thrown iptO one.
Although the ceilings are low aud the windows
small In aye Of tue rooms, they are light and can
cept AS store room. Mine of the pupils IN the
Even with these buildings, one Chassis left with
out aroom. and has to be instructed In the main
hh The galleries behind this hall are small
and without means OF ventilation, aud having
large classes In them, BECOME foul and sunocat-
ing. Measles and diphthera have been fright
fully prevalent among the pupils during the
past few weeks, fourteen Ia one class having
been stricken az one time. There was dsath
from SMALLPOX in the school last week.
= The l,SD pnplls 10 bhe primary department OF
| Grammar ScuOol w. IN East Inrty seventh
street, are In ~ classes and have overcrowded
the legitimate class rooms so that the assembly
. room and the galleries have to be used. Two
, dark rooms on the playground floor, whose win
dows are obstructed, are also occupied.
what was once lager beer siloon 10 Third
ground Of Primary School 81. the clauses being
taught IN the bedrooms overhead and IN the
beer garden In the rear. Ihis primary schools "a
register of about 90. with IL teachers,
but only eight rooms besides the assembly room
ia which the three surplus classes are taught.
-Four of the eight rooms are ordinary bedrooms,
e having low ceilings aud no provisions for venti-
| lation except the sm all windows Ia front. The
other four are partitioued Oh from the centre Of
the beer garden. which has an arched roof con-
!, | tanning two small skylghts. These rooms are
$ little more than boxes having no windows, no
n means Of intercom m unication, and no light or
y little skyhghts, each OF which supplies two
: rooms. The cnillren Ia thus school have just
Q | passed through siege OF me ISLES, aud no "
, suffering from whoopins cough and other throat
j. | complaints.
e Measles has considerably le.sened the attend
= hnce at the primary department OF Grammar
School II, In Fifty-nrst street Of late. THIS de-
= partment IL composed Of SEVENTEEN cl sses, oc-
( copying thirteen rooms, aud numbering aoou,
j. eight hundred pupils. The experiment % teach.
C being tried al this school. Daring the day the
" classes Ia THIS oveIcrowded room exchange witt
?. In defiance OF the laws OF ventilation. -Four
is player ound elias. rooms which are no betiel
is many classes of little children.
l. Not one Of the rooms that are OCCUPIED by tn,
ir primary department Of Grammar ScnOol No. ~
q IA Eat Fiity-seNenth street. has windows facin
Is the QUEER light ON two sides although the schoo
II house n one Of the newest and largest In th
o ciN. Every room Is partially lighted from th'
IN inside Of the building, and ventilated witt
y ar tnnt ts Ueen alre adv used ana POISONED We
between ~ and 10 children are confined in eacn
Eleven hundred pupis forming eighteen classe
ART supposed to be taught IN the department
-. and these are restricted 10 eleven class ruOms
y To accommodate the surplus pupils four classe
are Instructed In the IN AIN room, ana two class
n study IN each Of the rclr galleries. Two OF tn
IL. class rooms are on the playground floor. On
~ OF them has window opening into dark store
DE- room IN the playground, aud the other has
window that receives the foul air OF the child
~ ren's outnouses. As Is invariably the case tnes
er UNIV nolesome ground nIf rooms contain tn
youngest children, because, II Is Urged, they ar
II In less danger there should pane occur frou
L Gre or other causes.