The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-17
BERKELEY'S HIGH SCHOOL,
The Board of Education There
Is Planning for a New
Building.
Better Accommodations Urgently
Needed Owing to the In
crease in Pupils.

Berkeley will have new High School
building before many MONTHS said Presi-
dent P. r. Boone of the Board of School
Directors, a few days ago.
"The citizens of the town are coming to q
realization of the pressing need of more
room and better facilities for giving in.
struction in High School work." continued
Mr.. Boone, ''and the present board Of
directors propose to do all in their power
to bring the matter TO climax as soon as
possible.
"The growth of the population and the
consequent increase in the number oi
pupils has made it a matter of duty for us
to take the necessary steps toward afford
ing suitable school accommodations fol
them.
1.-The matter has been under considera-
ton for several years past, but under the
old charter we were hampered and unable
to do anything more than to talk about
how much we needed a new building.
Now, as the present charter gives US more
liberty in increasing the educational facili-
ties, we hope to be able to bring the matter
Of erecting a new building before the citi-
zens in such light that they will not feel
timid as heretofore about bonding the town
erly equip a suitable structure.
1.-The Berkeley High School should be
the best school in the State, from the fact
that such large proportion of its graduates
enter the university. This year nearly 80
per cent of the class will pursue college
studies at the opening of the fall term"
Principal Waterman also expressed his
views with regard to the necessity of more
room and better equipment. He said:
I'VE are greatly overcrowded here at
the High school, 30 pupils having been
accommodated last year in four small
rooms, and for while recitations in Latin
and Greek were held here in my Office, a
room about twelve by sixteen feet in
dimensions.
81 do not know what we shall do for room
next year, as we expect fully 800 pupils, if
part of Woodmen Hall, across the street,
| be not secured as an overflow classroom.
Our corps of nine teachers are all univer-
| sity graduates, and are able instructors,
| and the only thing that is now lacking to
make this the foremost high school in
California is more room and better furn.
ishings.
Eve must have new building, that is
all there is about it"
Heretofore, whenever the matter of erect
ing new building was brought up, the
Board OF School Directors were divided in
opinion as to whether it should be built in
| East or West Berkeley. Some members
wanted 1t of stone, others brick, and still
others thought that frame building
would answer the purpose. The new
board are about united as to what they
shall recommend to the citizens for con-
sideration, though no official action has
yet been taken.
There has been some talk of leasing a
portion of the University grounds, which
are not in use. for ninety-nine years, and
erecting a building on it, thus following
out the plan of the High School of Urbana
Illinois, which has leased portion of the
State reservation from the University of
Illinois.
1t is likely that at the next meeting OF
the board some definite action will be
taken with regard to what course to pur-
sue in bringing the matter officially before
the people of Berkeley.