Wichita eagle., 1889-06-20
FOR THE SCHOOL noSps-pARr

FOR THE SCHOOL BONDS-PART II.
To the Editor Of the Eagle
8. 1t will take S1OO, COO to provide the city
with such facilities for school as viii be
absolutely necessary within year Or two
at furthest. and / am in favor of voting it
all ID one lump, and not SIS, 900 or 600
now and some more next year and then
some more the next. Let US suppose. Tor
example, that only q small amount is
voted-just enough to put up one or two
buildings. say two good ones. Now, where
shall they be put? Suppose one OF them
be put in the Third ward, somewhere east
of the track. A good eight-room building
there will just about accommodate those
within reach Of it. Now. where will the
other one be put? VIII it be at the car
works, on Paramount, on College hill, In
West Wichita, or where? The fact is that
it would not be satisfactory to all TO put IT
any place. The others, who need it just as
The result would be that at least
half of the money voted would have
to be spent on little two or three
room buildings all over the city to pacify
those who would become clamorous about
it,. Perhaps before it was settled the
whole amount would have to be divided
out in that way, so that instead Of respect
able six or eight-room buildings properly
located we should have a lot of half-com-
pleted little country schools, with only
two or three rooms each, scattered pro-
miscuously over the city wherever some
body demanded one. Voting sufficient
amount of bonds now will oDylate this
state of affairs. enabling the board TO give
assurance of relief and attention in due
time. After the bonds are voted the
board, knowing that plenty of resources
are available, can take comprehensive
view OF the matter and plan lntelllgently
fer the needs Of the town as whole.
From map of the city 1t can be seen
where school buildings ought TO be
points, commencing with the ones need
ing the relief most, the board can
build yet this summer. The rest of the
places upon assurance that the board has
the means and that it will build good
house for them next summer, or as soon
as practicable will be willing TO put up
with temporary accommodations until
this can be done, when if such accommo-
dations had to depend on the voting of
more bonds they would not be willing TO
risk it. Nine out of ten would rather wait
a year and have such building as the
Irving in the proper place than to have
little two-room affair right next door now,
even with promise to have it added to
crazy-quilt fashion every year IS the PEG
pie vote pittance to do SO. Give the
board the means and let it plan for sys-
tenn of schools,-for accommodating the
city as whole, then as each house is
built it is a step toward something per-
manent.
4. The advantages in having six, seven,
or eight room buildings are not TO be
dropped out Of consideration. With only
two or three rooms in building the
schools can not be graded. In each of
such buildings there must
more grades than rooms
and consequently several grades in each
room-just like Il school out in the coun-
try. Teachers having so many classes can
not do justice to any of them. 1t is far
better on this account to have abont eight
rooms in building. Children would
much better walk mile to attend such
school than only half mile to attend
where there were only two or three rooms
Besides this it is economy to have good
school buildings. 1t takes fewer school
sites, less fuel and less expense Tor neces-
Sary surroundings. 1t requires fewer
principals, and the responsibilities justify
the board in paying more and getting
better ones. The billings such as the
Irving are a credit to the town, and re-
hexively good investment. and the school
work can be better systemlzed and there
fore better accomplished.
To explain exactly what l mean let me
give the facts in the Third ward. We have
three rooms in the old frame building; one
In lecture room of a church block or so
away: one in an old store room on
Douglas avenue two or three blocks
away; and two III an old rlckety
frame near Oak street six or
The rest of the children of the neighbour
hood came over to the Fourth Ward school,
eight blocks away. Now what can any one
do toward building up set OF graded
schools with these conditions? Suppose
now that somewhere, convenient to all
these fragmentary schools, there should be
built a good eight-room building like the
Irving, and all these children gathered into
it, How soon could they be classified, in
terested, made happy and started on the
road to do something for themselves in
stead of being obliged to sit around and
bemoan their lack of opportunity as at
present. These are some Of the difficulties,
dear people, under which your superlD-
tendent and your faithful teachers have
had to labor. / only wonder that our
schools are as good and our teachers and
pupils as full of courage as they are.
believe the secret of it is because they are
looking forward to better things in the
near future.
One word about renting buildings. Ger
tainly, where good and suitable buildings
can be rented IN the proper locality there
is no objection TO renting them instead OF
building, provided the rooms rented can
be had four or five or more together This
one room-in-a-place plan is not what is
wanted. Even if rooms enough could be
secured on this plan for all the child
rem in the city free it would not
be good policy to adopt it. 1t is
not entirely master of saving
expense 1t is matter of educating the
children also. The few thousand dollars
thus expended is we'll invested Then let
US have the bonds. Give the board a
chance to undertake something worthy OF
this city and TO see their way clear to carry
1t out Let those who have to wait until
next year for school houses have assurance
that It is coming by and by. Don't begin
the policy Of little two and three room
buildings sc ALTERED everywhere, but as
fast as practics BILE put up good ones with
about eight rooms, so located as to be IN
the right place for all time to come
With some such comprehensive work on
the part of the board there is DO reeson
why Wichita shall not have the finest sys-
TEN of public schools In the state. With
cut it. no superintendent eau do much
more than simply get along"
Very respectfully,
NJ. CHIDEsTER
ANNOUNCEMENT.
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