The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-11-20

The present system Of educating these
80 pupils costs the taxpayers ior seven
grammar teachers and eleven assistant
grammar teachers salaries IS, 700. At
the high school there will be one prin-
cipal, at a salary OF $500; six teachers
nj salaries Of 5000 each, $500; janitor
500, making 4 total OF $500, thus
showing that the cost OF the high school
system is $500 less than that OF the
system now i'll vogue.
Mr.. Bloch stated that he knew OF Il
building that could be bought for about
$4,000; $1,000 would fit it up Tor high
school purposes, so that it could be
used Tor some years to come; il Il larger
building was afterwards found neccs-
sary, the old one could be used for other
public school purposes.
Col. j. a. Miller was OF the opinion
that ;STi 600 would about cover the cost
OF buildings and grounds, to which
should be added $4,000 Tor heating APP
paratus, furniture and other equip
mcnts, making total OF $4,000
The annual expense OF conducting the
high school will be approximately, rs
follows:
One principal, Sl,SOO; ono teacher OF
German, 5000. one teacher OF latin,
81 1000; one teacher OF music, $1,000;
one teacher OF botany, geology, astron-
omy, etc, not now in schools, $50;
eight teachers Tor pupils now in gram.
mar school, $500 each, S4,4Q0; janitor
md genera! expense Sl,400; addition to
superintendent salary on account oil
high school, $500; interest on $50, 900 in
vested in building and ground, Sl,SO0;
total, $l5,S50. Deduct on account OF
closing grammar schools the salaries OF
fourteen teachers, $500 each, $500;
saving oil rent on account OF removing
library, 500; total, $500; annual ex-
cess OF expense over present system,
$3.50. Interest on the permanent in
vestmcnt OF $4,000 is calculated in the
above expense. Ii the high school
scheme be not adopted the amount
will remain with the people and be
worth ut least simple interest annually
to them.
Ii the high school should be estab-
lished, manual training would be added,
Instructors and rooms in the building
would be required ior it. This would
increase the estimated expense to over
$4,000 per annum. The additional OK
pensc OF street car fare to distant pupils
attending the central school would be
about Sl,sOO per annun. The long
distance would also cause reduced at
tendance.
French, Greek, penmanship. etc., may
not be introduced until 4 lew wears
after the opening OF the school, there
lore are not included in estimate. I'M
der tho present system VIC can inaugur-
ate needed economy. In two grammar
schools there are eight teachers for l4O
pupils; the other five schools have fiji
teen teachers 10 $50 pupils. Seven
teachers could be dispensed with, there
by reducing expenses $1,000 yearly.
The efficiency OF our grammar schools
compares most favorably with so.called
High schools clscTherc; tho per
centages attained by the pupils in their
studies prove the fact.
The enrolment OF pupils in the seven
schools during the month OF September
was 4,245; average daily attendance
&,767. Enrolment in grammar schools
4l4 average daily attendance $40, indi-
eating that nine-tcnthS oil our pupils
quit school before reaching the gram
mar room, and only about ,hirty.tive
stay long enough to graduate each year,
under the present system. There would
be 4 less number in high school
course; not fifty in five thousand would
receive additional benefit blythe change.
Tho city school tax is already nm
c%travagant figure, amounting to about
$4,000 per. annum. Taxpayers should
not be levied on to create and
support such an expensive orna-
ment, which would be OF advantage to
very few persons in this working COM
mUnity. Consolidation ofthe grammar
schools would destroy tho friendly COM
petition now existing. A temporary
high school of any make-shiit plan
would be III injury-a waste OF time
and money.
DR.. Campbell stated that he had