Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-09-27
HIGH SCHOOL ACCOMMODATIONS.


 year to call attention to the imperative need of larger accommodations fer this school. So much has been said and the matter has been SC often discussed that every intelli- gent vsisr in The district must understand Ihs situation. We regret that after the pre- liminary steps had been taken to secure new and central location on North Main street, and to erect thereon a building suited to the needs of the school, the citizsns of Waterbury. in a special meeting largely at tended, voted down the project and we are now apparently no nearer the realization Of our hopes than a year ago. We know that the times are hard and that in a young and growing city with many Improvements to make, taxes seem burdsnsome. Rut we must reflect that each year class O. boys sni girls in our midst passes beyond school years and any eurtsiImsat of educational privileges is irrsparabls loss ts them.
 The number of pupils is tho High scho1 proper duriag ths winter tern was l9l. or this nunbsr 35 graduated and q few left to enter snploynsnt The number Of grammar school scholars who passed examination for admission was 110. making the number al the summer tern 252. When We state that these must be packed Ia quarters originally designed for only IA. We feel that this fact alone is all the commentary needed. The whole number rsgistersd during the year was sos.
 EVENING sCHooLs.
 We frankly admit that our evening seho Is are not a success. Our best teachers are de- tailed for ssrvIcs-wsll lighted and well warmed rooms are provided. They start oil with a large attendance which soon dwin- dies away. A fair. a minstrel show, moon light evenings that give good opport unities tor coasting or skating, any plausible sxeute. rapidly diminIshss the attsndancs, and long before the winter Ia over only low earnest pupils remain. Teachers are naturally anxious to increase their income by appoiUt ment to the evening schools. There are many applicants and the unsuccessful ones | feel that their merits are overlooked by the committee in charge. while the successful ones, more or less exhausted by their day ] teaching, Ind themselves after four or five successive evenings work each weak with Impaired vitality and lack oi nervous en- ergy, and the day schools they teach suffer | ln consequence.
 It is a serious question whether the re- 1 cults attained are commensurate with the sx- | psnss involved. We think another winter 2 much smaller number Of schools should be opened and only thoss pupils admitted who will pledge themselves 10 punctu&l and con- | tinual attendance. The total number ol scholars registered in the evening school, | was 814.
 The average attendance for the week end | ing November IT was 495.
 By the first of February the average at. tendance had dropped to 2A.
 For the week ending March 2s the num- bsr was but IA.
 LARGER ACCOMMODATIONS.
 Some ot the schools are badly ovsrcrowded There are several rooms in which from 100 tC no pupils have been registered during th, past year. Numbers like these h rooms de signed for not mere than fifty are detrimen tai to health and prsludicIsl to successful teaching.
 The Washington school Is to DC enlarge by an addition of four rooms and new heating and vsntilating apparatus put in which will greatly improve the building anC provide for the needs of that section fol some time to come. Work on the improve ment will soon be well under way.
 Locust street has bsen enlarged during th, year by the construction Of two sdditiona rooms. each supplemented by a commodiou recitation room.
 The pressure at sperry street has been re lisved by hiring three rooms in the buildinG on the corner of Hillside and Central avenues { which was constructed few years ago for 
 private school under the charge of Misl Mary N. Abbott. They will prove but tsm. porsry sxpsdlsRt az The rapid growth Of th. city towards the northwest will soon re quirs a larger building in that ssotioa.
 The little swsat-boxss called rscitation room al the Wss' Side hill building have been re placed sy larger rooms but an addition mus sson be provided to that school.
 The Webster annex to the Bank stree school, originally designed as only a make shift, cellariess and without ventilation worthy of the name. has teen crowded wit over 100 scholars. It is unhealthful an should have been discarded long ago. EIthe a large addition must be joined to the Ban street building or ths roof raised and a thir story added. Six rooms wouls De gaiRsd b another story and this would prsssbly pro vide greater accommodations at lees cost tha any other plan. but it Is doubtful policy in
 city of this sizs to erect buildipgs for scho,
 purposes more than two stories high DAr l ger in case of fire or a ranie from any caus