The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-06-25

TO move III TO carroll street But the
General Sentiment Was In Favor of
Chestnut Street.
A special meeting of the School Board
was held last evening, Mayor Ingraham
presiding, and all the other members be-
ing in attendance. The meeting was
called to hear the report of the special
committee, Messrs. Bradley, Brownson
and Blake, appointed at the last regular
meeting, to consider the advisability of
abandoning the Spring street school
house, remodelling the Practice school
and removing it to some other school
building.
Mr.. Bradley, of this committee, re-
ported at some length. He said the COM
mittee had visited the various school
houses in the western part of the city
and had carefully considered the extent
and condition of their accommodations.
The committee were unanimous in re-
commencing that the Spring street
school house be abandoned. There are
now but about 1875 pupils attending
there and they can be readily distributed
among the neighboring schools, without
overcrowding. While the Spring street
houe is in good repair, SO far as the school
rooms are concerned, the basement is in
wretched condition, making it necessary
to expend a considerable sum of money
to put it into proper shape, if school is
to be continued there. The committee
considered the suggestion of
abandoning the Park street
school house or the Bracket
street school house, but both seemed to
them to answer their purpose better
than the Spring street building. Be
sides it would be difficult to distribute
the pupils properly, if either of these
houses was given up.
Mr.. Bradley then passed to the pro-
posed plan of remodelling the Practice
school. 1t was recommended that the
course hereafter be but one year and
that the Practice school teachers re-
ceive no pay. The Practice school
should be removed to some one of the
present primary schools in which the
regular corps of teachers shall be re-
tanned. Ten practice teachers shall be
admitted each year. 1t is proposed to
give Miss Taylor, the present principal
of the Practice school, charge of the
building to which her school may be re-
moved. During a portion of the day
she would instruct the training teachers
mainder of the day they will be distribu-
ted among the various rooms in the
building to observe and assist the older
teachers in their work. 1t is believed
that this will work greatly to the advan-
tage of the teachers in training, and also
be benefit to the children who attend
the Practice school. The young teach
ers can be sent to other schools to OBJ
serve the work from time to time
as in the Judgment of the
principal may seem wise; or they can be
utilized as substitute teachers a part of
the time, at the discretion of the princi-
pal and school board.
Mr.. Bradley next reported that the
committee would recommend that the
Practice School be removed to the Nc
Lellan schoolhouse, on Carroll street, it
having been ascertained that the accom-
modations there are suitable.
Mr.. Webb made some objection to
giving up the Spring street schoolhouse.
He thought the Park street schoolhouse
could better be abandoned. He also
thought the Mcclellan schoolhouse too
far at one end of the city to be suitable
for the Practice School. A school build
ing for this purpose should be centrally
located, and on or near the line of the
street cars.
DIR. Thompson suggested that the
Chestnut street school building would be
admirably adapted for the purposes of
the Practice school. It has all the requi-
sites suggested by Mr.. Webb.
Mr.. Brownson stated that Miss Taylor
had informed him during the afternoon
that she would prefer to go to the Chest
nut street building, in case it should not
be deemed advisable to remove the Prac-
tice school to Carroll street. He had no
doubt that the Practice school could be
well accommodated at the Chestnut street
school house, ana that it would be for
the advantage of the pupils in that dis
trict to have it moved there.
Mr.. Bradley also favored Chestnut
street as the location; Mr.. Webb and Mr..
Blake also thought well of the PROPOSE
ton while the others expressed no de-
cided opinion.
In case the Spring treet building is
the pupils will go to Park street school.
Final action in the matter was deferred
until the regular meeting next Monday
evening.