The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-18
THE OVERTURNED SCHOOLS
1T WILL REQUIRE FORTY-sEVEN
NEW ROOMS NEXT YEAR.
Contract with New Telephone Conn
Dany Characterization Mat
ter Settled.

| Superintendent Goss, IN his report to the
| School Board last night, declared that at
! least forty-seven additional rooms will have
| to be provided by the opening of school
next September. The superintendent re-
| ported that the number of children in the
| schools now stands at forty-six to each
| teacher. In his opinion this number must
| be reduced, unless the efficiency OF the
| schools is to decrease. There are twelve
| schools the report continued, that are
| either holding their sessions in tenement
! houses and store rooms, which are entirely
| unfit for school purposes, or are holding
| halliday sessions by alternating with an
| other school in the same room"
Superintendent Goss recommended that
the following additions be built: Two rooms
at school No. 49, on Shelby street; five rooms
at No. 16, Bloomington and Market streets;
eight rooms at No. Is, Michigan street and
Keystone avenue; eight rooms at No. 80,
Illinois and Twenty-first streets; four rooms
at No. IS, Oak HILL eight rooms at No. q;
four rooms at No. Al, in North Indianapolis
and eight rooms to replace No. Is, on Yam
des street
The superintendent referred to the crowd
ed condition Of the Industrial Training
School and the High School, and in this
connection observed: Until every child in
the primary grades is given a comfortable
seat in sanitary schoolhouse the board
should not expend any more money on the
High and Industrial Training Schools in the
extension of the buildings or in the pur-
chase Of equipment" The report Of the SUI
Derintendent was referred to the committee
on buildings and grounds. The superintend-
ent, in his general remarks on the condition
of the schools, said that the cold weather
and the presence of smallpox in the city
had almost closed the schools for several
days However, the attendance is again be-
coming normal
communication from South Side citizens
was read requesting that Commissioner
Wcessner be appointed a member of the
committee on buildings and grounds to fill
the place made vacant by the death of
Michael j. Burns. The communication said
that Mr.. Woessner was chosen to fiji this
place by mass meeting Of citizens recent
~ held at the 0. =. Morton Club. Com
missioner Sloan was not in favor of this
lie said that while he had no objection to
Woessner he did not think the board should
be dictated to by political club. The COM
missioners voted to lay the communication
The board closed it's contract with the
New Telephone Company, the matter being
preclpltated by communication from the
Central Union Telephone Company. Early
IN January the board received a proposition
from the New Company and a committee
was named to consider the offer and report
to the board. A contract was drawn up, but
1t had not been ratified by the board. Last
night letter from the Central Union peo-
pie was read, In which they offered TO
furnish telephones for use in the city schools
at $40 a year. On motion of Commissioner
Robson the contract with the New Tele-
phone Company was brought out and read
again. Commissioner Robinson urged that
the contract be closed at once. He said that
the old company had had ample time to
submit a proposition before, but had not
done so. The company, he declared had
furnished telephones for use in the schools
for many years and had been paid high
price for its phones. The board had asked
the company to reduce the price and it re-
FUSED. The commissioner held that it was
with proposition, and he asked that the
contract with the New Telephone Company
be closed at once. This was done by a vote
of the board Under it's contract the board
will pay $24 for telephone service for a wear
beginning July l. The company expects to
have it's lines In operation by March J. and
the board Will receive the benefit of four
months service free. At the expiration OF
| the year the board may renew the contract
for five years if it desires.
The question of vaccination in the CITY
| schools was brought up again last night in
| the shape or a communication from Charles
! w. Smith, attorney for the board At the
| last meeting of the board DR.. w. B. Clarke
| appeared and asked that his child be per-
mitted to attend school without being vac
| cinated. He said the child'S physical condi-
| ton was such that vaccination would be
| dangerous. The matter referred to At
| torney Smith. In his opinion, the attorney
said the superintendent OF the schools did
| right in enforcing the order of the Board of
! Health and refusing to allow pupils to at
| tend who had not been vaccnated. DR..
| Clarke was present when the opinion was
| read and was not pleased with it. He de-
! clared that 1t did not cover his case, and
| after the board had concurred in the attor-
| neys opinion, he left the room.
Nora Roberts was appointed to teach in
| the district schools at a salary of $500 a
| year, her election TO date from Jan. 49, 1899.
| Anna BOruff and Cora Dean We're also ap-
| pointed teachers in the district schools. The
| board made an order providing for examina-
| tions to be held on Feb. "a and %, at school
| No. 3, for the immediate admission of four
| applicants to the Normal Training School.
| 1t was decided to change the name of the
| Industrial Training School to the Manual
| Training High School.
Harry nj. Wright was appointed to sue
| coed j. 5. Dunlap as superintendent of
| buildings and grounds Mr.. Dunlap resigned
on account of Ill health.