Morning journal and courier., 1889-12-12
PUBLIC soneoL ArrAIns.

what Free Text Books WilI Cost and How They Will bs Introducsd-Ths New Lawrence Street schUol-The Proposed school Building in she Cen-
 ter of shs City-Annual Csss of the
 school system.
 Since the town meeting decided that the school district might have $3o,0OO to start the free text book system there has been great deal of speculation as to how tho books would be introduced, when they would be in troduced and what the cost of this introduc- ton would be to the district.
 Superintendent Dutton is as much at loss ., anyone else ss to the precise way in which the now plan will be started upon. It all rests upon thu action of the board of eduoa- tion. MT. Dalton said yesterday that he supposed the free books would be gradually introduced. He says there are number of children in the schools who are not cona- pletsly supplied with books. They have been waiting for the coming of free books, and these, with other needy scholars, will proba- bly, be supplied first. By the let of March It is thought that the books will be in use In all of the schools.
 It is not decided as yet where the books will be purchased. The board of education has received numerous applications and offers from all sources. MT. Dutton has made out sn elaborate estimate of what the cost of in- troducing the books in all of the schools will be. According to his figures, the cost of in- troducinQ free books in the eleven grammar school districts of the town would be $17,- 916. .16 ct the retail price. From this re. duction of about 8, ,579. 42 could be obtained. For supplying the High school with free books 1t would take 5,20S.o oS more. The discount which could be obtained upon this sum would be- $6SS. %, placing the actual cost of the change in the High school at $4,- 521.90.
 Many scholars prefer to furnish their own books. This would be allowed. The books would stand the usage of from five tg ten years In all probability. l
 The now Lawrence street school building is nearing completion, and will be ready for use about March 1. It would be finished be- fore. but 1t is thought best not to hasten the work bscauss of the damp weather. When opened 1t will greatly relieve the neighboring districts, which are greatly overcrowded. The Skinner school district will probably give 300 or more of its children to the new school, the Humphrey street school will be relieved of some 100 scholars or less, the Ed. wArds street school of about 70 and the Ham- ilton school, of about as many. When this change Is completed, there will be ample school facilities in that section of the city for many years to come.
 The project of building @ large new school house In the central part of the city Is still uppermost in the minds of the board of edu. cation. The site for the new building will probably be somewhere near Meadow, State and George streets. No selection has yet been made. The board have examined al- most every available lot in the neighbor- hood. The only site which met with their approval could not be purchased short of 920, 600. This was much more than the board wished to expend for this purpose. The building will have to be built sooner or later as there is pressing need of 1t. There arc now about 500 children in the center of the city who are not suitably provided with school accommodations. These are all in the Wslch, Wooster, Fair street, Gsrman-English and Whiting street school districts. All of the smaller schools about the center will then be abolished. The amount which the entire district costs the taxpayers of the town every year is about e24S ,O0O for ordinary expenses. This was, in round numbers, what last years expenses amounted to. The extra ordinary expenses amounted to $50, GOO more.