Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-09-15
z a X u
TURNED THEM AWAY
New School Buildings inadequate
to Demands Upon Them.
SPACE IS AT 4 PREMIUM
Eighty-On East End Children Gould Not
Find Seats and ProG. Epps Had to
Send Twenty-Five Away. Attend
auce Larger Than Expected.
SPACE is AT A PREMIUM

a city is growing pretty fast when
it cannot find accommodations for it's
children i'll the public schools
For a long time Newport News labor
cd under that disadvantage. There
We're no real school buildings in the
city, the department having to make
| the best of makeshifts. Consequently
not nearly all of the children within the
city limits could be accommodated.
The Huntington School. which pro
rided for the employees Of the Shit
yard, relieved the strain to a large cx-
tent, but still there We're many who
went untaught.
so 1T was that the necessity for hay
ing new school buildings of ample capl-
clty was soon recognized and when it
came to voting for bonds for their cree
| ton, the people cheerfully voted Tor
them.
The Board Of school Trustees planned
for buildings which would not only ac-
c1n,1nodate the present population, but
which would meet the demands of the
future for several years to come.
Now it ti'anspires that even for the
first session after their completion none
OF the buildings are large enough In
stead of meeting the demands of tic
future, they do not seem to meet the
demands of the present
Upon the completion OF the new
schools, Mr.. Huntington decided to dis
continue the Huntington school, con-
s:dering the object of its founding ac-
compished. The result was that sew
e:7al hundred children were immediate
! ~ turned over to the public schools
In addition to these, there We're the
numerous ones VINO could not be ac-
com!nOdated in the city schools during
past sessions, and these nocked out at
the beginning of this school year. Then
there is to be accounted for the abnor-
mally large but anticipated ma tura
| increase.
SO it was that when the session open
ed the principals Of the schools %er.
at their wits ends to know how to
pace the children and where to pu.
them. The new schools which We're &c
| nave met the demands Of the future
were crowded on the first day. During
the three following days, pupils contn-
ued to pour in until finally the prime:
pals had to confess unwillingly tia
there was not enough room for them
| Over in East End Professor Jefrress
actually enrolled eighty-one more pupil.
than the school could accommodate anl
these he has been compelled to senC
away. Not only that, but he has beer
compelled to divide the fourth grade
into halves. one section attending ir
the morning and the ether in the az
| ternoon.
| Professor Epes turned away thirty
one, but afterwards found room for six
more pupils and took that number back
| Over at the colored school Professor
] Lee. is puzzled TO know what to do
With the swarm Of pupils he has on his
| hands.
| 1t is popularity held that the fault is
not ir the buildings, which are gener-
ally considered large enough; but 1T is
considered that there ought to be more
| schools distributed over the city This
| indeed. is the only solution OF the pro-
blem, and it is only question OF a
short time when more schools will have
| to be built.
| The City is not in a position to do this
now. and even if it We're would not be
able to provide teachers, as there is al
| ready lack of funds. Three more
teachers Nvcre aske! for by the princi-
pals this session that the board could
| give them.
| It may be that before long the city
will again find itself compelled to re-
! sort to nakeshifts.