Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-12
Public Institutions of Learning in
Both Cities Unable to Accom-
modate the Children.
SCHOLARS SEATED ON THE FLOOR.
Clsss-ROOms damned With Pupils Until
the Air Becomes Tainted and
DiSease-Laden.
PRESSING NEED FOR MORE BUILDINGS.
An Increase Of 5000 in the Attendance at Pittsbug
Schools.

Allegheny and PIttsburg have they been so
crowded. AT the opening of this school
year every conceivable place to put the
pupils was utilized and the crowd was
especially large in the lower grades. Sew
eral thousand more pupils than last year
have applied for admittance in the Pitts
burg schools and the increase was probably
equally great in Allegheny. In Pittsburg
% new teachers found employment and at
the average of 40 pupils allowed to teacher
it makes an increase OF over 800. However,
the average is much higher than this and
the Secretary of the Central Board estimates
that several thousand more pupils are now
in attendance than there were at the close
of the year in June.
The increase has put the schools all over
both cities in an overcrowded state and in
many places it is actually unhealthy for the
children to stay in the room. One young
lady teacher said Yesterday that she hardly
knew what to do with her flock sometimes
The rules are that she should have but 40
pupils, but there are never under 60 in at
tendance and often as high as 20 or so.
PUPILS ON BENCHES.
The rule followed by the boards of educa-
tion in Pittsburg is to put two teachers in a
room when it is overcrowded and 70 or
more Pupils are in attendance. The duty
of one teacher is to keep the children busy
while the other hears the recitations. In
many rooms where this rule prevails the at
tendance is 50 large that great many OF
the pupils are accommodated on long
benches around the walls of the room.
A DISPATCH reporter yesterday called on
Secretary Reisfar, of the Central Board of
Pittsburg, and in the course OF conversation
he SAID: while our schools are very badly
crowded we are in better shape than most
of the cities of the country. We are
able to accommodate all the children
who make application and could,
if necessary, crowd in few more. In New
York thousands of children are turned away
The increase this year has been greater than
for wears. Last June there were about 25,-
600 pupils in the school. This year it will
reach 1000. We have had no official re-
ports so far and will not have until the end
of the school month. However, from present
appearances, don't think the above figures
are very far wrong.
"Our normal department also has an in
creased attendance. Twenty new desks were
put in and we are all right now. 1 have
heard that the Lincoln School in the East
End is very much overcrowded, but know !
nothing definite. In fact, will have abso-
lutely nothing official on the attendance un-
til the end of the month, when we will have
the reports from all the schools. While 1
know that they are pretty we'll crowded.
think we can accommodate all that apply.
The fact that % new teachers have been
granted the different wards shows that the
increase has been very great"
BUILDING A NEW SCHOOL.
The Thirty-irst ward seems to be one OF
the places where the attendance is especially
great and there is to be new school build
ing erected to accommodate the ever-increas-
ing crowd of children. This structure will
probably be located on Allen avenue, where
the board owns lot 175 feet square. At
present there are zoo pupils in attendance at
schools in this ward, and it would require Is
rooms to accommodate them. However, it
is the intention of the board to have build
ing with "a rooms, and they expect that
within three or four years the building will
be filed up. AT present every schoolroom
in the ward is overcrowded, and it is abso-
lutely necessary to have better accommoda-
tioIs.
The Twenty-fourth ward schools do not
appear to be crowded so much as others
throughout the city. Prof l. n. Former,
principal of the schools, said: "The attend
ance is quite full. There are at present IL
teachers, and the average attendance so far
this month would warrant another teacher.
There is total enrolment of AS pupils
with an average attendance of 42S."
In the Twenty-ffth ward the teachers
have more pupils than they can we'll handle.
Prot. W. j. Mcclure, Principal of the
schools, said: cat present we have from
7O2 to $50 children present each session.
We have 16 teachers now, and have been
In the TWenty-sixth ward the attendance
is still larger. Mrs. NJ. B. Redman, Prin-
cipal, said: "We have now 9S9 children
enrolled, and there are many who intended
to come to school that have not been heard
from yet. We have at present % teachers,
and the school taken as a whole is very,
very full. l think by about the end of |
September the number enrolled will reach |
900. From appearances at present L be- |
Iieve the attendance will justify another |
teacher at least, if not two"
CROWDED ALLEGHENY SCHOOLS.
The condition of the Allegheny schools is |
far worse than in Pittsburg. There every |
schoolroom in the city is overerowded, and |
there is a crying need for more school build |
ings. 1t seems almost impossible to keep in |
advance. In the Second ward a new build |
wear ago, and now everything is crowded SO |
iull that scarcely another one could be |
soueezed in, and it is very hard for the |
teachers to attend to their duties.
GfIu the Sixth and Tenth wards new build |
inps are projected and in the conrse of con- |
struction. In the Tenth ward six additional |
rooms are being prepared and they will be |
filled up as soon as they are ready for |
occupancy. In the Sixth they have three |
buildings in one yard and the board now finds |
il necessary to erect another building in |
order to provide suitable accommodations.
Superintendent Morrow talked to DIS |
PATCH reporter yesterday afternoon on the |
present condition of the schools of Allie
gheny, and in the course of his remarks,
said: 'The schools are overcrowded in all |
parts of the city, Some rooms are worse
thar others. The younger departments are
bad, while the advanced and
grammar rooms are not so bad. They gradu-