The San Francisco call., 1898-02-20
HIGH SCHOOL
 FOR ELMHURST The Growing Town Is at Present at a Big
 Disadvantage.
Pupils Have to Travel Either to Haywards or to
 Oakland.
Present School Building Large Enough to Admit of the
 Advance.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,
 0np Proo duav Fah 10


 Elmhurst is becoming ambitious Five years ago the pretty little towr on the San Leandro road did not ex- ist. Now it is thriving center anc rapidly growing. and its latest idea is that there should be a high school SC that its pupils will not be at a dis advantage with those residing al Fruitvale or Haywards.
 One of the most earnest advocates o1 the high school has issued the follow ing argument in it's favor:
 That all public institutions should be as centrally located as possible for the accommodation of the majority of the people is a point invariably con ceded by all. For this and other req lowing reasons Elmhurst should have a high school. No doubt Fruitvale will succeed in her efforts to secure this advantage for that district, and we certainly hope such may be so for there are many pupils in that vicinity ready to avail themselves of the op- portunity which the advanced grade affords. The limits will probably be extended to High street or Fitchburg. and will include a district sufficient in size and population to need no divi- sion for many years, as would not be the case should the limits be extended to the boundary line of Haywards district. which lies between San Lo- renZo and San Leandro.
 Elmhurst is located at an almost equal distance between the present limits of the Haywards and probable extension of the Fruitvale limits. in the best geographical center of popu- lation and is already able to provide the costs of maintaining an advanced school. This could be done at much lower figure than the costs of tuition and carfare to two-thirdS of the num- Der of DIIDilS nranarp6 tO enter the higher course at the opening of new term. It must be borne in mind that the cost of carfare from San Leandro, Elmhurst and F1tchburg is the same to Fruitvale as to Oakland district, while carfare to Elmhurst from any one of the points in the proposed dis trict is only cents each way or one half the cost to schools in other dis tricts However, the greater number of pupils live within walking distance of Elmhurst and could therefore avoid this expense entirely, but it might reasonably be supposed that should this be the favored location, special rates in fares might be secured by this district.
 For present needs we have grounds large and ample and a school building the pride of the whole community, favorahly constructed for an addition or annex which would serve the pur- pose of the high school department until the grammar grades might in crease in numbers sufficient to fill the entire building, when other provision might be made for a high school building equal to that of any city on the coast. With this proposition the present building could be made to fill two necessities of the schools.
 And by all means why should not our progressive and prosperous young town. which is known far and wide as the best non-delinquent tax town-not only in Alameda County but in all California-be most worthily awarded this grand free advanced educational fac ty9