Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-03-13
NEED MORE SCHOOL ROOM
A Correspondent Opposes the arempo-
 rary Expedient" System on General Principles and Because It Is'GExpen-

A Correspondent Opposes the GTempo-
 rary Expedientn System on &eneral
 Principles and Because It Is'GExpen- slve.
 Editor of the DEMOCRAT: nk
 The school question again has it's period- teal prominence with no apparent solution. The water supply question and the sewer age disposal question, may call for un- limited bonds and the people will patient. ly submit. But when the question of school accommodation comes up, these same people who advocate this stupendous outlay for water and sewerage raise the calamity ory of distress, and hold their hands upraised in holy horror. Now this question with it's bare facts is again facing the people of. Center school district. What are you going to do about it9 Ss It long has been the predominating de- sire of the board of education and the dis trict committee to operate the machinery of the district in the most economical man. ner, even at the cost of human life. Thls may sound like strong language, but it should not need any argument to convince our medical school board that crowding one hundred to one hundred and thir- ty-iiye little children into unevenly heated and badly ventilated rooms means death to some and shattered health to many. This congested condition of the schools | IS not sudden revelation, but has been growing vorse from year to year, until now 1t has reached 0 point where some thing must be done and that quickly. This process of putting of the building of proper school houses by temporary exped- | tents, such 5as hiring school rooms, put ting up temporary additions and taoking | on a recitation room here and there is false economy. It may give a rosier color to the committee's report at the end of the year. but it proves costly in the end:
 to the Washington school was delayed 50 long that when the demand at last became so imperative the work was obligedI to be done in mid-winter. About four years ago the demand for more | room became so'great at Bishop street school that temporary wooden addition was built to relieve the emergency A barn like structure of the crudest possible nature was built in two weeksi Since then this affair has partially sheltered nearly 200 children at time. That is economy with vengeance. Now the demand for room there is as great as it was then. Bank street sub-district has so rapidly in . Il creased that it's fine school building is no longer adequate, and plans for another story to it will soon be submitted to the voters of the district. '
 But the question which seems to demand | the most attention is greater accommoda- tions for the high school building. The l voters of the district have plainly signified their disapproval of a new high school building. The question is dominant, what must be done? The board of education recommended to the district committee that the old Bronson library building be rented and fitted up for school purposes. It will cost at least $1 .000 to fit it up and furnish it. Then the rent will be Sl 200 a year with no certain lease even after this heavy outlay. Is this $l 200 year a re- ward to the Bronson library officials in peculiarly locating a monstrosity to shut the district out of a site for a new high school? This $1 200 year rent plus the S1, 900 for fitting it up would in five years amount to T ,O00, the interest on $35, 900 at4 | per cent. Why not tear out the un- slightly closets between the high school and Elm street school building and ex- pend this amount in a good substantial twelve room building on the spotP The present high school building can then be entirely devoted to its original purpose, and thus the pressure in thls direction would be relieved for several years or uh- til the people saw fit to build an up to date high school. When that time comes all the buildings on School and Elm streets will be needed for grammer school pur- poses. The claim is presented that there is no room for any more children on the grounds around these buildings. The Scovill street lawn would look much better as play ground than in the present deso- late condition.
 There is no question that the present boards have theI welfare of the school at heart, but the desire to please the tax payers seems to influence their best judg- ment and at times their economical desire seems to lead almos. to penuriousness. Now is it wise to resort to temporary expedients when the i'm
 mediate and future want is so ap. parent2 Is it not wise to profit by the ex- perience of the past and at once provide substantially for the present and futurei Would it not be we'll to raise the grades in in the different sub-districts and thus teni-
 porarily relieve the high school building to which many children have to travel a mile or more to attend the sixth and seventh grades? Let the district committee call a district meeting and present some plan to relieve the congested condition of the schools; and if no action is taken call an, other without fear or favor, and keep it up until satisfactory disposal of the question has been arrived at NJ.