The New York herald., 1878-12-14
sCHooLHoUsE VENTILATION.
PRESIDENT wooD's VIEWS ON THE QUESTION

PRESIDENT WOODS VIEWS ON THE QUESTION
NEW BUILDINGS NEEDED.
To THE EpIIoR OF THE HKRAID:-
IL your remarks in Thursdays Issue upon what
said regarding the overcrowdng and bad ventilation
of some OF the common schools you do the Board of
Education and myself but scant justice The school
to which l referred having three in each of
which nearly tainted the primary department
of Grammar School No. AZ. in Allen street, with an
'L abutting Hester street visited this school
on November IL last. There are twenty-five classes
in it, and on that day there in attendance l479
children ton the 18th there had been 1904 in actual at
tcndance, The passages leading from the main build
ing to the III" on Hester street dangerously
row. two grown persons could hardly pass each other
in them.
The Board of Education and the trustees Of the
Tenth ward have long been anxious to relieve the
crowded condition of Grammar School No. ~, but the
difficulty was to obtain any proper site for new
school in that densely populated ward. At last
suitable site was found. consisting of the premises
Nos d. q aud % Norfolk street 70 feet front by 100
feet deep. and with three old fashioned buildings
the ground which within six weeks two months
can be converted into good primary school, with
fourteen class roomA for an expense Of about 1000
Tie Of these premises, for many months past,
asked $50 900 for them but the 18th of November
at last agreed to take 5000 went and visited
them along with Mr. Roome. one of the trustees of
the Tenth ward, Immediately after completing my
visitation of primary department. Grammar school
No. A. November a. That evening there was
extra meeting of the Board OF Education and lett
the chair and took the floor to advocate the purchase
without delay of the premises on Norfolk street,
stating the condition OF the Allen street primary
department as to overcrowding and bad ventilation,
had myself witnessed them that very day. Since
then the Board of Education has secured the premises
in question, and tho Allen street school will
after the holidays, hope, be greatly relieved from
its oyercrowded state and the ventilation In conse-
quence measurably improved. mentioned i'll my
marks yesterday before the Board of Eatmate and
Norfolk street to relieve Grammar School No. A. but
you take notice of the fact Our funds for sites and
buildings for 1878 entirely used up. We ask for
$373 900 for sites and buildings and repairs in 1872
and trust that the Board of Estimate and Apportion
ment will give every cent ask for; it is all ur
gently needed. The fact is that need some ten
primary schools i'll various parts OF the city.
The sites, buildings and furniture could probably
be covered by about 100000 each. At present build
why should not the city obtain act from the
Legislature authorizing 1t to borrow $6O00 on
thrty-year bonds aud build these ten primary
schools The money could be obtained at five per
cent 10000 per annum, while We are paying some
$45, 900 per annum for rent of hired buildings,
large portion, il not the WHOLE of which could be
saved by erecting ten new primary schools OF our
OF course this proposal to increase the bonded
debt of the city will be met with howl by all the
the city, but this doesn't in the least deter from
making the proposal Posterity is to benedt by the
erection of these schools let posterty bear part Of
- 80 - ''~'- : '-- WILLIAM WOOD
No. 1 WEST EIGHTEENTH STREET, Dec. 13, 1875