The times., 1892-05-13
demands Of the people Of the district.

demands or the people OF the ulstrlct.
School houses once built and properly
constructed will be available for many
years, and i'm locating them care should be
taken to place them where they will be
quiet, easily accessible and free, as far as
may be, from all communicating influences.
AS whole, the school buildings thus far
erected I'm the district have been well located.
That they have been, all of them, properly
constructed, is not so certain, and I'm the
construction of those to be built great care
should be exercised. The sanitary cOndi-
ti0ns should be as near perfect as possible,
and as far as practicable, the buildings, es-
pecially those designed for the use of the
older scholars, should be so constructed as
to secure the pupils from repeated journeys
up and down long flights of stairs.
The pending proposition provides for
school building for the higher grades, to be
two stories high, to be artistically and at the
same time economically built, and to be
so arranged that each grade will do all its
work on the same floor. a change that will
be more than blessing to our daughters who
are IN these grades and save more to the
tax payers i'm physicians bills i'm the next
ten years than the building will cost, to say
nothing of the untold misery and suffering
to which our daughters are subjected by the
use of the present high school rooms. These
are facts, the truth of which is only too APP
parent on every hand, and against the con-
tinuation of which every instinct of parental
love and filial devotion most earnestly pro-
tests.
The schools of Owosso have nation wide
reputation for efficiency and the highest
culture, and yet, only bakers dozen or so
of foreign scholars are this year enrolled in
all departments, and less than half of them
in the higher grades. The reason for this
largely exists in the fact that the high
school building is so constructed as to en-
danger the health of pupils. This is attest
ed by the fact that the foreign scholars in
the Corunna high school are largely in ex-
cess of those in our high school, while the
rank of that school falls far below that of
ours. The Corunna building is of the model
proposed for the new building in Owosso.
And If building is built here on the plan
submitted to the meeting on Tuesday even
ing, there is no possible doubt that the at
tendance of foreign scholars In the higher
grades would be SO largely increased as to
perceptibly reduce the taxation necessary to
maintain our schools. And not only that,
but as is the case in Ann ArbOr, wealthy
citizens in adjacent parts of the county who
have children to educate, would be attrac ed
to and locate in our city on account Of the
educational advantages afforded, its sanitary
conditions, the beauty of its homes and the
elegance of its churches. This class of citi-
zens it is extremely desirable to interest i'm
and attract to our city, and in no way can
this be so successfully done as by offer
ing to them for their children superior
educational advantages. And yet, more
important than that, is the fact that
many of our citizens are young mechanics
with children in their homes to be fitted for
the future duties, responsibilities and posi-
bilities of every American citizen, and who
in the vast majority of cases will enjoy no
other educational advantages than those
furnished by the schools of the city. These
citizens are surely interested in pushing to
the highest practical standard the educa-
tiOnal advantages offered by our free school
system, which is and ought to continue to
be the wonder andthe admiration of think
ing men and women world wide.