The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-30
SCHOOL ROOMS CROWDED.
Increased Attendance Complicates
the Educational Problem.
PLANS FOR NEW HIGH SCHOOL.
Frank j. barnard
Protests Against the Present Poll
iey Of seatferfnG Puptis In Rent
81 DuatAisEs-Ihis Method Ia
xsivss usnecesssry Expense and
Prevents Good Classification.

Prevents Coed Classification.
The public school situation In Seattle to-
day Is ar.ssnaiaas. With an Increase OF
lisa pupils actually belonging IN senooa
ever the number last year. only twenty
one additional rooms have been provided.
and most .sf these are either In the Dase-
fneuta OF school buildings or IN other
buildings entirely isolated from the schools
and utterly unsuitsd 10 school purposes
In the Central district aione AZ pupils
have been forced o1t Of their quarters oy
the rapid growth Of the high school.
These ara sheltered temporarily b. an
advancement which leases eight rooms In
the old university building. eigM In ST.
Francis hall three in the synagogue, one
IN Trinity Guild hall ard one In the Armory-
Superintendent Frank J. Barnard pro-
tests quietly but vigorously against this
condition of affairs. He contends that the
use OF these rented rooms initiates
both against the highest interests OF eduea.-
ton and against the piainest and most COM
nonsense economy In the administration
Of affairs. He says the rooms thus secured
are utterly untitled for school, purposes.
while at the same time this expense en-
tailed in the way Of additional janitor ser
vice. fuel and teaching force, imposes an
additional burden on tue Scacoi aislrict
Mr.. Barnard said yesterday.
Greatly OvercSewdea.
"Are our city schools overcrowdedr
Well. should say that they are; and
that Is putting II very mildly. One year
ago We had s.ixs pupils req stored This
year. since September. we have had s.ss-
Actually belonging IN school year ago
there were 6. TA pupils. Today there are
7.a0. This In virtually an increase OF -
Ger cent. and new pupils are coming III
every day.
had one year ago Ito rooms Now We have
1yf; but II must not be supposed for a
mornent that this increase In rooms is In
the way Of we'll equipped school rooms,
such as every faithful teacher longs Tor.
Quite the contrary The additional rooms
that have been secured are In the main
utterly unAuitcd for school purposes.
They were never designed for school
rooms. and I'm point OF fact, no amount OF
adaptation Or remadeiinK would convert
them into Aeaaol rooms.
let us take ZIP the list. In the Pacific
school thr.s additional rooms have been
provided They are In the basement In
the South school four additional rrlorns
have been provided. two Of these are In
the basement of the school building and
two are rented In separate building. In
tho Denny school one additional room has
been provided In the basement, In the
Rainier district matters still worse.
There We have six additional rooms. but
and churches. void OF all suspicion of
proper light or ventilation. to say nothing
OF school room equipment. In the Minor
district We have four additional rented
roems.
A Worse state of ARairs.
THE worst state of affairs. however.
prevails In the Central district. Here the
high school has grown 30 rapidly within
the last three years that from u small
room on the third door or the Central
building. II has come 10 occupy the entire
building and half the building devoted TO
the board Of education offices besides
This growth OF the high school has nccsS-
Stated the renting OF elgh, rooms In the
Old university building, eight In st. Fran
els hall. three In the Jewish synagogue.
one Tn Trinity Guild halt and one in the
Armory, In order To provids a place far
the pupils who by righ, should be today
I'm the Central school building, We have
also one additional rented room la the
Fremont district
"Now. the unaes!rability OF such an ar
Management requires hardly "a moments
thought Besides being utterly unsuitcd
10 school purposes. these rooms are badly
scattered. They entail a greater expense
In the way OF tanttors' expenses fuel and
teaching fcrees Worst Of all. from cur
standpoint they render 81 thorough ,tas-
sincation OF the pupils absolutely npos-
siale. In some Instances it has been even
Impossible 90 secure rented rooms at all
ard hence we have the unpleasant eonat~
ton % two teachers having TO work in
ono room. IA whife seventy or more pal
pills ara seated
Trouble Could he Averted.
VERY much Or the trouble thus In
volved could b. avsrted ~ exercising the
authority vested In tRc board by the vote
of tho people ia@t November leaving II 10
the discretion III that body a. sssifA add.
tionh rooms II necessary. Resides this
the act OF tss recent l3gisi 4iuFe charging
the limit es axpwaiitare without AZ hn,is-
sion 20 a Direct vote 81 tho people. frnsr
t2s~s to se,ess. gives us better opp-srtun
10 remedy the present esngestcd state ~
both tho vote last November and the re-
cent act ~ THE legislature cur sehaaI
board now has The power 20 levy a tax
equal Tn tie amount necessary 10 make ui,
the amount authorized hv tav vote 81 last
November plus additional ssupFtsy ssss.s.ts
10 the amount q soea The latter amount
could. In my Judgment b. used wisely IL
start high seapol for which we have n
site already Isasd.
'"Thts arrangement would enable us -
avoid tae tsstie - tsaHGs for which | -
not think ctr people are aow rsrepar~a
We had better bssilsi fh0 rev sch~al iF 4xs.-
fscrs. involving tho expenditure az ta 5.s
year for sag, ave years tAAn 30 attempt
90 issne bands 50 10 ,rnlld IL AN az GA, !,
A. Che end ~ five years We would have a
building better than that possessed lYv any
ether city - ,8@ siEs az Seastso in the Uni
red States
Il regard the construction Of a rev high
school building a. today THE most asnrserM
i've necessity so oHr public s,isassl ssst,.,rs
Tn Seattle. iSF She very xru~th ard nrss
peFfts az otkr askfs sshsaoi ~ which We are
Justly proud more rspiis have rrrts driver,
cot 81 the Central school tAan cat of ans
other district aa fhr gIFY, To-day we IN 80
no fewer than II prp{l& properly belong
ing an th@ Gentraf A@ii8twE Mo hast 2se. Z,
driven sUfe rented FxNaa1N here there and
Sen5eF. Tae cttl*e@s ~ ghe district ahn
are patrons - TIE Central school aYs ex.
rrses$iile themselves ga v3Eoroas s&yir In
r*Kaf1 - whst k&ey 1esssn gross tnfus-
tsee, Yes. believe tAr soNsd wnt tMkn ~
matter iato serious consideration az sss
HeNt nicettnS