Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-04-23
THE HIGH SCHOOL.
Index Continues HIS Reply to the Criti-
cisIns of the school Board.
To the Editor of The Register

Irdex Continues HIS Reply to the Criti-
cisIns of the school Board.
To the Editor of the Register
Sir:-With your permission here re-
sumo my reply to the criticisms OF the
School Board in the matter OF the high
school, as published in your issue Of the
18th inst. In the former article upon
this subject think established clearly
one fact, viz: That taking the several
sections of the Constitution of this
State and the several acts of the Leg
islature referred to in my former article,
together and constituting them together,
the Board of Education Of the indie
pendent district Of Wheeling has the
power, when deemed necessary, to es-
tablish one high school in the district,
and for this purpose may cause tax
TO be levied. This much being settled,
then permit me TO ask what are the OBJ
jections TO the Board exercising this
power and giving TO the youth Of our
city the advantages Of high school?
Our unknown friend, in your issue of
the 18th, objects upon the ground that
il would increase the taxes Of the peo-
pie and put upon the taxpayers Of the
district an intolerable debt. He says:
1T would inevitably be to increase
present expenses" ut (meaning the
high SCHOOL, cannot be taught except
by specialists in the various lines. and
those instructors command large sala-
RE and require expensive apparatus,
and the pupils must have costly text
books" Let us pause for a moment
and look at :hcse objections in the re-
verse order.
Under the present school system in
this district. many Uf the high school
branches are taught in the grammar |
schools. and the text books necessary
have to be purchased by the pupils.
Certainly these same text books would
not cost more because they are to be
used i'm the high school; therefore, The
text book question is out of the case.
NitScr is it true that it requires eX-
pens;ve apparatus to carry on high
school. and l would be glad for my I'M
known friend to cite a single case where
IN expensive apparatus is absolutely in
-. .-ivNer
fully Of a high school. True there
ought to be apparatus. but it would be
far less expensive to equip one high
school with the necessary apparatus
than to equip several grammar schools,
as we are compelled to do under the
present system. Neither is It true that
a high school must be taught by high
salaried specialists" as my unknown
friend declares. True. high school
must be rightly graded, and the work
divided amongst the several instruc-
tors. one teaching one branch and an
other another. II is also true that such
instructors should be competent, but it
is not true that they must be special
lists" Neither is it true that the es-
adjustment Of high school would in
crease the expense and add to the taxes
of the people; but on the contrary
would lessen the taxes and save annu-
ally to the district vast sum of money.
The act of the Legislature creating the
independent district of Wheeling pro-
vides: Until said high school shall be
established, such higher branches shall
be taught in the grammar schools OF
the district" And in pursuance of the
above provision, under our present sys-
TEN. the work that should be done by
one high school centrally located, is
distributed amongst the grammar
schools of the several wards Of the city.
each of said grammar schools having
pupils ranging in number from three to
ten. who are studying the high school
branches. thus requiring seven teach
ers to do what could be accomplished
by one teacher, if these pupils were
brought together and taught in high
school. But not only so, the ward
schools being relieved of this work
would thereby be rendered more efti-
cient.
Now, what would the establishment
of high school save TO the taxpayers
of the district annually? This is an
important economic question and con-
Germs every taxpayer Of this district.
Suppose We let the high school in
clude the last three years OF the present
grammar schools. Let the "A" grades,
together with the first year OF the
grammar schools. form the future
grammar schools Then what would
be the annual saving Of expense? 1t
would be as follows;
II "A" teachers at $500. =. IS 1910
Z assistant grammar teachers at
$500. o,oOV