The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-04-06
LOCAL News.
THE NORMAL BOARDING HALLS.
The Board OF Education Decline the
Offer Of the Buildings for
School PurDoSeR

| School Purposes.
The board Of education met last Fri
day in special session to consider tht
proposition of the city council to turn
over the old Normal buildings for the
use of the schools, provided the boarC
of education would repair them anC
keep them In repair. The building
committee reported:
THAT they had examined the build
ings and found them badly out of repair
very filthy, with plastering down, win
dows broken and other signs of djlapi
TO accommodate the schools with econ
ony, and that the whole interior would
need reconstruction that the removal OF
partitions would so weaken the build
ings as TO make them entirely unsafe for
the purpose stated; that they had con.
suited competent mechanics, and found
that to put the buildings into any sort
of shape for school work, would cost not
less than $1,000; that the furnishing OF
these buildings would cost just as much
as for better rooms, and would require
not less than 81 600 more"
After thorough and free discussion
of the report, the hoard adopted the fol.
lowing as the response to the PROPOSE.
ton of the city council:
To the Honorable City Council of TIE
CITY of EmpOriG:
GENTLEMEN: While We are not I'm.
mindful of the kindness of the city
council in Offering the build.
ings TO the schools, we feel we
should not be subscribing the best
interests of the people IN accepting
and using them as suggested. Our
reasons for this conclusion are partly as
follows:
/. There is no economy IN this project
The repairs and changes required will
cost at least 81 900, and the furnishing
over 81 900 more. The board have no
funds for this purpose, and would be
compelled to issue scrip, which means
heavy discounts and high prices for Is.
Dor and material. The money thas
wasted would go a great way towards
paying the interest on the bonds re-
quircd for new buildings. When all is
done, the district will have nothing 10
show for Its money, but must build the
school houses at last.
2. These buildings are not adequate
for tie purpose. The present enroll
ment of scholars largely exceeds the
seating, although many causes have
tended to reduce the enrolment. Then
it must be remembered that all children
between the ages of 3 and Z are excIud-
ed. The board have right to exclude
these only temporarily, and there is no
Il, 81,
PEELED to admit this entire class of chill
dred, numbering now 200. We need at
least 300 extra seats, while these Nor
NAL buildings will only make room for
200. When changed over they will only
furnish four fair sized school rooma, to.
gether with recitation rooms.
3. These buildlGQs cannot be made
safe. They We're made tor tenement
rlums and boarding halls, depending on
the partitions for strength. Removing
these partitions to prepare them for
school use, the buildings becpme mere
shells, ready to blow TO pieces in any
storm.
4. This prospect fails to de justice to
tie Third Ward and tae 2eetiOn south Of
tile railroad. This section is growing
very rapidly and contains large num-
her of children, most of whom must
cross the railroad track IN gong to ana
from school. The proposition submit
ted by the board was especially designed
to do some sort of justice TO this grow
ing section of our city.
5. AH that is spent afs these buildings
ioiH &c {: e5aad losG, and the city must
Lt;t!tt ats school houses after all.
Thanking the city council, therefore,
for their kind offer, the board of educa-
ton nevertheless feel constrained to
decline the same as being an unsatisfac-
tory and expensive way of meeting the
needs of our schools. The board is very
clear in this conviction, and could not,
under any circumstances, consent to put
the children of the city into buildings so
untitled aud so unsafe. They ask the
people, therefore. again to adopt the
proposition submitted by them as the
best, and ia the end the cheapest, way
of pravidIug school room for the chill
dFea of the city. If this fails, the board
will be compelled to provide room in
some other way by the issue of scrip,
which means at least twelve per cent.
instead of six. The board has NO option
in the matter, but is absolutely required
by law to furnish school facilities for all
the childrea of the district.
Sigaed by the members of the hoard.