The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-04-24
KINGSTON SCHOOL FIGURES.


ing on the patience of our readers In the
matter.
But we regard this as very serious
business that ought TO make the taxpay'
ers who support the school, and the
great mass of the people in whose in
terests it is conducted, but who really
get very small advantage from it, think
a little. Aud we have no doubt the
the facts aud figures we have presented
will have the attention of the mem
bers of the General Assembly, which
honorable body we do not presume
to advise but rely implicitly on their
ability. good faith and loyal interest in
a matter of public importance, such as
this, to secure consideration Of the sub
ject in an unprejudiced spirit.
We have expressed and still hold to
the opinion that the State School in its
present location on Kingston Hill can
never do the work it was established TO
do or be of any great value to the State
but whether q removal is desirable is
~
slider. There is a resolution now
in committee to appropriate $4,000 to
replace buildings burned down and we
submit, that instead of adopting that
resolution, or any part of it, or adding
by so much as one stone to the plant
which we believe TO be uselessly located
on Kingston Hill, that the matter Of the
| resolution be postponed for the present
and that the Assembly appoint COM
mittee and learn for itself whether the
ideas we have advanced are worthy of
being carried into effect.
We are convinced that such an inve S.
| tigation will demonstrate clearly that
the State School ought to be located
elsewhere than on top of Kingston Hill,
and we wish simply to repeat, here. the
figures that form the main ground for
this opinion. They are brief and will
bear pasting in the hat of every mem
| ber.
The State School at Kingston opened
its doors in September, 1890. Up to the
| time of the latest report, accordingly, the
| institution had been experimental with
just four years.
| From the beginning the school has
been able to show no practical gain in
school attendance. The latest catalogue
gives nominal attendance of ia, but
| Of these:
| 8 are taking postgraduate course, of
whom are employed on the faculty.
II are graduates, /. G., not now in the
school at all. except as their names are
duplicated in the list of post -gradu-
ates" and faculty"
| % are classed as specials"
10 are classed as specials in wood
carving"
| And of the whole number thus listed
only
90 are taking the full course of the
school In the regular classes.
| And the faculty comprises "a pro-
fessors
This showing is the result of an ex-
penditure of nearly $400, 900 and $70,-
900 more is asked for.
We will not repeat again the figures
demonstrating that one-third Of this
small attendance comes from single
town in the State, that one-third of the
attendance from that town comes from
one village, one of the smallest villages
| in the town, and that about one-fifth Of
those who begin to take a course at
the school drop out without comp mpleting
their work. These figures. assuming
that the plant is all that could
be desired and that the
faculty is capable, favor strongly
the opinion that the school is in the
wrong location-even if there were not
plenty of other reasons, visible to the
naked eye, to point to the same con-
clusion.
The annual cost Of conducting the
institution in 1894, Of caring for and
schooling these go students-lets call it
ia students to include everybody-was,
according TO the annual report:
S2s, $3.50. 34-which isn't SO bad, con-
sidering.