Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-06-12
NEEDS OF THE SCHOOLS.
Statement of Facts Prepared by the Joint Committee of the Board oi Education and District Committee.

Joint Committee of the Board oi
 Education and District Committee. | For several years the number of pupils seeking admission 10 our public schools | have been largely in access of our school | accommodations. The new buildings | erected from time to time have but partly met the requirements of the situation. Whit can be done to relieve the over crowded condition of many of our school buildings, has been, and is, very serious question forced on the attention of the school boards.
 Some months ago a joint committee was appointed to consider and report upon the schools and from personal observation were able 10 make their report. WASHINGTON SCHOOL. This school was found to be more than overcrowded. Every room had many more than the fifty sittings would accommodate. In the primary grade, there were 107 pupils packed into room which should hold but 30.
 The excess of children is at present enough to fill two more rooms. There was pressing need of relief. It seemed unjust and cruel not to make suitable pro vision for this excess.
 As the attendance at the beginning of fall term promises an increase on the pres ent number, the committee recommended that an addition of four rooms be placed here.
 As the estimated cost of this addition was mere than it seemed best to spend without the express authority of public district meeting, it was resolved to call such meeting and lay the matter before the legal voters.
 LOCUST STREET SCHOOL.
 This school was found to be very crowd ed, and pupils were refused admission be- cause there was no more floor space for seats. The committee therefore recom- mended that two large rooms be added. These were completed and occupied last tenn.
 WEST SIDE HILL SCHOOL.
 The two rooms of this school were more than full, and it was recommended that two rooms, to be used partly as recitation rooms and partly as school rooms, be added. Ihis addition was completed and occupied at the beginning of this term.
 SHERRY STREET SCHOOL
 The needed relief called for here was obtained by hiring the building known as the Hillside avenue school. This accomo- dates about 100 pupils and they have been transferred thther from the Sperry street school.
 BROOKLYN DISTRICT.
 In this district are the Bank street and Potter street schools. It will very soon be necessary to provide more accommodation in this part of the city, which can be done by placing an additional story on the Bank street school.
 BISHOP STREET SCHOOL.
 This building will very soon need an ad- dition of at least two. rooms. NEED OF A NEW HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING.
 For the last three years the annual re- ports of the board of education have directed the attention of the public to the need of q new High school building.
 The number of pupils registered this term in the high hool is 255. It is es- timated that there will be a net increase of about 100 pupils in the term beginning April of next year. Of the present pupils. 100 are crowded in the High school room, which was designed to accomodate but II. The remaining 65 are packed away in three recitation rooms. It was never in- tended that seats and desks should be placed in these rooms, and they must still be used as recitation rooms. In conse- quence of this, when classes enter to recite the occupants must seek temporary sittngs in the main room. The confusion and necessary disturbance, caused by this ridiculous but enforced arrangement. has 
 rooms are too small, very inconvenient, and not sufficient in number
 The chemical laboratory is not large enough, and as it must be used by classes in geomctery and other branches, it is almost impossible to prepare what is neces- Sary for individual experimental work in chemistry. ?
 There is no room for physical labora tory, no room for the proper study of botany, no room for a library.
 The present building is not adapted to the needs and requirements of modern and properly equipped high school and cannot be made We are very far behind other cities of the state in our pro- vision for high school pupils.
 X large number of young women and young men in Waterbury are seeking a higher education. Justice to them and the best welfare of the city demand that they should have new aud commodious building.
 This whole subject, of the most pressing need of q new building, has been so often brought to public notice by late annual reports and through the newspapers, that no extended argument is needed to prove it.
 THE SITE.
 There is not room enough on the prt S. cnt high school grounds to erect build
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