Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-03-21
ANOTHER TALK ON SCHOOL MATTERS
Light and Ventilation" Takes Up the rss
Again and Wields 1t Vigorously. 3

/ lOl. tutI dTblC1t1 III ohC NfSNsS<
| March 9th and the communication from
! ..An interested Parent in the CENSOR
of the f4th inst. have been read with
much interest. The question of what Is
best for our schools should be well DIS
| ,.rssed before the time for our annual
school meeting and the voters prepared
to meet and settle the issue at that time.
The fact that the school district is still
slightly in debt should not influence any
| one at this crisis. The old bonds Will be
met easily and the new bonds need not
be allowed to mature in a way to prove
at all hurdensome Neither should the
building of a new school house interfere
with the Library Building. Ii V!fo-
qua needs both we should have both I'M
less it be clearly demonstrated that the
burden of taxation would be too great.
Under such circumstances, 1t Will pe
necessary for tue people TO say wnlcn
must wait 1t would seem however,
| to those who have kept closely IN touch
with our city schools, that their need Is
the greater. What has been done OF
late years has all been in the line OF
makeshifts, and the article IN the
CENSOR had not been signed 'sAn Inter
ested Parent, the conclusion that would
have been arrived at after a close read
ing. was that it was written by some
one who had casually looked the OLD
buildings over and concluded' that
another makeshift was possible we
have had enough of the makeshitts.
When we do anything more Tor our
schools let it be permanent improve
ment The present condition OF onr
stone school house is warning enough
against makeshifts. 1t wasan lmpossl-
bility TO make six properly lighted ana
sized rooms in the building, and those
who did the work regarded it as only
temporary provision as III a famiIy
when r.aexpected company causes the
supply of beds to run short and hall
dozen children are tucked into one ped,
the side rails becoming for the occasion,
head and foot-boards. No one, would
dispute the fact that such makeshltts
are occasionally necessary In both
schools and families, but they should
not be allowed to continue indeflp te'N
if the childrens' welfare is to be consld-
cred
That much may be done to improve
the light and ventilation in both build
ings is probably true; but it can only be
arrived at bv experiments, ana THESE are
ofte costly and productive IT no good
results. Whatever we tTy TO accomplish
by extra shafts and the ike methods is
all right for the immediate relief but
we know that it ia not possible to attain
proper and complete ventilation with
our present heating system, and we have
experimental for years With proper
heating and ventiiating system central
" located so all buildings may be benenb-
ted. we can solve the two problems at
i IT, EfsaYsf o.
our school buildings should be grouped
within reach of such heating plant
RuiIdine of ward school houses would
snlve on,v the two problems, light and
space. The ventilation would certainly
be imperfect in them as the heating
would be such ths6 no thorough system
of ventilation could be had. Then, too,
if ward school houses are built, there
must be at least three If not four OF them
and that means three or four teachers
for each grade where heretofore one
teachers has been provided for each
grade and two for each grade would
doubtless answer every purpose for
many years to come. Now you practi-
call double your number of grade teach
ers for say, four grades, and you heat
four ward school buildings Then you
must remodel the stone building for the
use of the remaining grades, and remodel
the present high school building, allow
ing space in it for certainly not more
than one grade, and that only temporar
lily.
The question of light might be met
with extra windows and skylights in
some rooms; while in others very little
could be done and the ventilation must
remain bad throughout the entire sys-
tenn On the other hand, suppose we
build for the Viroqua children what
| they really need, and that is good high
school building. properly equipped in
every way. 1t should be built either on
the present school grounds, (it would
scarcely cake the space usually covered
by unsightly ricks of cord wood, or On
groand that could be purchased in the
immediate vicinity. Then do the nee
essary remodelin9 of both the old build
| ings to render them suitable for school
purposes especially az to space and light.
The central system of heating with the
| fan system of ventilation will settle the
other questions. When Viroqua needs
more than two teachers in any one grade
she will need still more buildings ard
then ward school houses would seem
necessary; but that time is still some
| years ahead of us.
! When the annual meeting is held next
July, we confidently expect those who
have the welfare of the children at heart,
and that certainly includes every good
citizen, will attend, and vote for ample
| buildings We believe the decision will
be for the new high school building and
for proper space, light aud ventilation
for each and every grade. The fact that
we need little work on some of our
streets, or that few of our citizens have
donated literally to the building of beau
| tiful churches, should not be allowed to
in any way affect either the library or
the school question. and it will not.
After the question is once settled the
planning and building will necessitate
many months. Present accommodations
will have to suffice for at least another
year, and then we hope for better things.
LIGHT AND VENTILATION.
Lingering La Grippe Cough
! q. Vacher, 157 Osgood street, Chicago,