Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-09
COST OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS
Question is Worrying the Members of the
Board Of Education.
PROBLEM IS TO KEEP WITHIN THE LIMIT
Board VIII Endeavor to Solve 1t, and
with This View in End,
Careful Investigation
is to Be Made.
PROBLEM IS TO KEEP WITHIN THE LIMIT

Shall the cost of the three grammar school
buildings to be erected this year be limited
to the 800 900 voted by the people last fall
for these structures, or shall the Board OF
Education, without the authority of the mass
of citizens, expend an additional $4,000 or
10000 on the buildings?
This question, raised by The Bee because
of the apparent sentiment of the board in
favor of the latter half of the proposition, is
causing the members no little worry just
now. 1t is being considered from all points
of view and already a change in the gen.
eral opinion is discerned. 1t is not at all
unlikely that at the next meeting of the
board action will be taken to reduce the
cost of the three buildings to the figure
which was fixed by the votes of the people.
If a change in the plans is made to con-
form with the amount OF money that Is
actually available the proposed Cass school
building will be the only one of the three
that will be affected. This will be reduced
in size. Instead of a siXteenroom building
to supplant the present eightroom struc-
ture an eight room house will be erected as
an addition to the present school. In such
event the cost Will be reduced from $4S 900
to about $24 900. If a siXteen-room Pacific
school and a ten room Davenport school are
then built, costing $iS, 900 and 100000, re
instead of $126OOO, as originally proposed.
This matter is to be at once investigated.
The committee on buildings and property,
together with Architect Latenser and Super
intendent of Buildings Banker will visit
the present Cass school house to see if 1t
can be used for school purposes without
detriment to the pupils Other problems
are also to be solved if possible.
Several Matters 10 He Considered.
There is more to be considered than
the cost Of the building" says School Board
Member Bandhauer of the committee on
buildings and property, "if the present Cass
school site is to be forever retained and
the present school Is becoming so antiquated
that it must soon be discarded, | would
be in favor of tearing down the present
school and erecting a sixteen-room building
in its place. But there is very great doubt
in my mind whether the district will care
to maintain the Cass school, or will be able
to do so in the very near future.
THE Omaha Bridge and Terminal com
pany is now building railroad tracks within
a block Of the school in order to permit a
new railroad to enter Omaha There is but
little question that other railroads will soon
be using the tracks. The traffic will largely
be freight. There is a very good chance
therefore, that that portion of the city will
in the next few years be covered with
warehouses and railroad tracks. In such
case the Board of Education would not
want to maintain school there, and, in
fact, it might be compelled to vacate to
make way FOR business interests. If this
should come to pass 1t would be folly tc
erect a costly new school building which
would be vacated in few years
This, to my mind, is a very potent factor.
a., s.,,Fi
should build only an addition to the pres
ent school IL the latter Is still found 10 be
adequate for school purposes In this way
We would be killing several birds with one
stone-constructlng buildings within the
cost fixed by the people and at the same
time furnishing needed school facilities
The question of the adyisability of erect
ing sixteen or an eighteen-room building
on the Cass site was discussed at the last
meeting OF the board. The size OF the Pa
eihc and Davenport schools recommended by