St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-08-19
The school QuestiOn--TO Build
or not TO Build.

After five or six weeks trial IA well
attended meeting was held on Monday !
evening, some considerable discussion
INDUCED in, and nothing definite de
cided upon; about 80 voters were pres
ent and nearly as many different Opin
ions and plans were offered for solution
of the question before the house. The
motion on which the meeting was
called to act was that offered by Judge
Ross ut the previous meeting viz,
that the district build new school
house on the common opposite the
present building, substantially in ac-
cordance with the plans presented by
the committee, at an estimated cost of
twelve thousand dollars. Some details
in regard to the plans and estimates
for new building, as well as for en-
larging the present building, were
called for and given. The necessity
for more room was made evident, and
i'll regard to the seating capacity
of the present schools the town super
intendent said he had found that sew
eral more seats were needed in every
ROOM His estimate of the number of
scholars in the district was something
over 600, including those i'll the Catho-
lie school. The grand list of the dis
trict was given ut between twenty-five
and twenty-three thousand dollars.
Then followed some lively discussion
of the points ut issue.
f. +. Sargent didn't want any more
debt saddIed on the village, and
thought there might he some other
way out of the question than to build
a new schoolhouse and increase taxes ;
he was in favor of charging the Maple
street schOOlhouse to meet the demand
for more room. Quinton Cook took up
the same strain; he was opposed to
herding the children all up i'll this
same locality didn't think they should
be compelled To travel so far favored
charging and improving the old
|
of making more tax. ii. G. Idle said
there was some force in the idea of
charging the present buildings at Pad
dock Village, Maple street, etc, but
there is Il difficulty about it the relief
was needed for scholars i'll the higher
grades, and enlargement of the prima-
1 IL -
ties of the ease more room Is much
needed the present crowded state OF
the rooms gave the children bad air,
prevented the maintenance of good
government, and was an injustice both
to teacher and scholars favored haV-
ing the primary schools as near the
children as possible, but when they
get older and ready for higher grades
they are able to 90 farther and had
rather come to the present locality
Addition to this present building was
not feasible was not safe it will
increase the danger of fire and acct
+ dent, a thing we want to avoid ; the
addition would only give two rooms
which would be filled at once by the
overflow from the existing schools, and
the relief would he only temporary
he was in favor of new schoOl-house
: A. J. Willard wanted the old engin,
house reconstructed and used fol
. school purposes; it had been school
house once, and he thought it nigh
serve the same purpose again, witt
some repairs. Harvelin Paddock, ON,
; of the committee, said the engine
: house was not fit for a schOOlhouse
and could not profitably be made so
the cellar walls are not in good cOndi
ton, and the entire structure is in
dilapidated state. ii. 5. Wright didn'
believe the new house could be bull
for SO 900; it might cost Sl5,OO0 o
= more people grumbled enough nov
> about their taxes, and he thought the
= might rebel if an additional burde
: was put upon them. In response t
y this, G.. l.. Bradley said he thought til
II estimate was high enough for hons
with four rooms, and didn't believe
n would cost any more. Ii. {. Bate
= was in favor of building small school
|. houses in different parts of the villag
is To accommodate the primary scholars
If he didn't believe in gathering SO man
It children i'll one locality he wante
y the voters to have more time to thin
u about this matter, since it was Il weigl
I'll ty question, and he moved an adjourn
= ment until two weeks from that dat,
p so as to get at fuller expression
, the popular opinion. =. ID. Blodge
n didn't want the matter put off any loI
- ger; it was the largest school meetin
a he had ever seen here, and now W;
the time To decide on something
-, houses built outside of the propose
locality would not meet the deman,
As of the case. DIR. Bullard was not
" favor of foOling with old school-house
~ but wanted new one which won
er accommodate the scholars. Prof.
e T. Fuller thought the plans present,
We might be made better; from his obse
al walton elsewhere he was not in fav
IL of building on the plans presented,
ek they were poor plans, especially i'll I
y. gard to the facilities for light.