Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-07-27
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON NEW
SCHOOL House.


TO the officers and UoterS of the School
Meeting LancaSter:-You- committee
appointed to inquire into the necessity,
etc., of an additional school house
within District No. 8, embracing the
city of Lancaster and some contiguous
territory, have given the matter such
investigation as circumstances permit.
We find that in the two houses now
in the district there are eight school
and recitation rooms. That during
the past year nine teachers have been
employed, and the room designated as
the chapel has been used as a recitation
room. The enrolment for the school
year numbers 468. There were Sc in
the high school; 81 in the I'd grammar;
45 in tbs first grammar; 40 in the I'd
intermediate; So in the 1stintermoiiate;
rs in the second primary; ard 50 in the
1st primary. These figures do not in
clude few who were in school a few
days and then were induced to remain
at home and were dropped from the
roll.
The seating capacity in the eight
rooms is sic. This more than covers
the enrolment and if it were a question
as to whether the rooms would hold all
applicants, it is probable they could be
seated for the next year. The increase
of school children in the district the
past year was 40.
The same increase the coming year
will take all the seats. But possible
accommodation with seats does not de-
termine the number that should oc-
cupy room, nor the number a teacher
should lave charge of. 1t seems to be
generally admitted that to do sstisfac-
tory and successful work 40 TO As is the
maximum limit teacher should have.
There were four rooms in which the
highest limit was exceeded. The seat
ing capacity in each of the primary
70 oms is ~. In one of these rooms
there were 76 enrolled and IN the Others
the 1st primary, there were IS. At one
time there were 104 in this room.
With all present this necessitated put
ting three in seat. They were too
close for comfort and the room much
too crowded for health. The children
who were sent home were of school age.
Thus the legal requirements of the
school law OF Wisconsin were not fully
met.
The school census taken this month
shows 613 children of school age in the
district. Allowing As for each room as
proper basis, the limit Of the present
accommodations is $500 This limit it
will be seen has been exceeded by more
than a hundred in actual attendance,
and the number in the district exceeds
it by more than $50 or IS per cent. 1t
is not expected that the whole school
population will at any time be in at
tendance at once, but it does not seem
unreasonable hhat all should be proviG-
ed for. Preparation in such case is in
yitatiCn. Those who can go to school
will the more readily 60 when they
know that full accommodation awaits
them. Besides, as public education is
now very generally depended upon as
the best education, towns like Lancas-
ter are expected to have superior
schools. The youth Of both sexes,
when DESTROYS Of something more than
can be obtained in the average country
school want the opportunities Of the
high school They viii come here and
pay fees for their tuition. II may be re-
marked in passing, that Lancaster does
not compare faYorably with other