New-York tribune., 1896-01-04
4 NEW BUILDING IN PROSPECT.

THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MAY LEAVE THEIR
PRESENT HALL FOR A LARGER ONE UPTOWN
For a number Of years members of the Board OF
Education have been complaining about the incon-
ven!ence of the present hall OF the Board at Grand
and Elm SITS. and several attempts have been
made to secure better and larger quarters further
uptown. SO far nothing has come Of these attempts
beyond the purchase Of fine plot OF ground at
Park-ave and Fifty -ninth-st., and even this pura
chase does not mean that the new hall will be
finally erected there. The whole question Of secur-
ing new headquarters will come up for discussion
at next Wednesdays meeting OF the Board, and
considering the favorable attitude OF the Mayor
toward school matters 1t is probable that some
thing definite Will be decided upon.
1t is said that the present hall is far too smai
for the transaction OF the enormous amount
Of business done by the Board Of Education
Nearly every other city department has larger
quarters than has the Board OF Education, yet the
Department OF Schools Is OF the largest In the
cty's government. Furthermore. the present build.
ing IL antiquated and has few OF the modern con.
venlences for carrying public business This
hall Is one Of the oldest public buildings In the city.
having been erected By the New-York Public School
Society which was organized In the first decade
of the century. When the Public School Society
was merged into the Board Of Education. in the
early ffties this hall was turned over to the city,
together with all It's other property. Barring few
alterations. the hall remains in about the same con-
dtlon as when used by the Public School Society.
Long ago the business of the Board outg ~ its
quarters and effort was made to relieve the
pressure by purchasing the factory building in ElnI
ST lust north of the hall In this place the
Superintendent OF School Buildings had his Offices
until crowded out. . -, ~, III. J.,
All persons connected with the Board unite IN
saying that the present hall Is clumsliy arranged,
inconvenient and entirely inadequate Tor the proper
conduct of school business The main audience
is poorly lighted and ventilated committee. s,,s
rooms are scarce and the accommodation for ming
away the records and official books OF the Board
Is entirely inadequate. 90 -,
Previous efforts to secure a new hall for the
Board Of Education have been frustrated ny the
inmlcal attitude of Tammany officials toward the
public schools Under ,he & ven OF M n1t .,K penn
every child in the streets OF New-Yor had been
provided with school accommoda ton Tammany
officials took particular pains to see TO II tnat
tlons and so kept the Board OF Education In wait
ing for a new hall. Now that there has beeQ
complete change in the citys government The
Board are exceedingly bright. and the next meet
ing will probably lead 10 some active measure
being taken to secure that end. There is some
new home Of the Board shall be. Some have
favored. the score Of economy the housing OK
the Board lr the new buildings of the C!ty College.
advise the sale OF the present hall and site and
also or the rev site at Park-ave. and Fifty-nnth-
ST. from which 100000 would be realized. which.
together with the sums already appropriated for A
new hall. would make "A handsome amount for the
erection OF the proposed buildings.
one thing however. seems 20 be decided in the
minds of the Commissioners, and that is that the
hall must he uptown. In such 4 case the ses-
sions OF the Board will be held in the evening In
stead Of In the afternoon. as Is the custom now.
If the sessions began at p. m. instead OF p m.
as usual and the sessions could be prolonged te
midnight II necessary.