Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-05-03
new HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING
Statement by "A Committee of
the Board of Education.
CONTAINS INTERESTING FIGURES
Review of Matters Causing the
Present Trouble.
1t is the Unanimous Opinion of the Mem
bers OF the building Committee That 1t
Would be Most Unwise to Postpone the
Completion of the school.

Line RAPID CROWN OF JDe PUBIC
schools of this city has been a matter
of pride and congratulatiun. From a
few buildings, small number of
I teachers presiding over handful of
children, until the present time, when
Is buildings, 245 teachers, and 11,0o5
pupils receiving instruction is a
ability to realize the immense strides
made in our educational system.
Accommodations for this small army
of children have kept pace with the
demands made upon tina Board of Edu-
cation from year to year.
For some time, however, it has be-
come evident tc those whose duty it is
to watch over the educational interests
of the city that the present high school
building would soon become too sma II
for the accommodation of the ever
increasing number of pupils seeking
the advantages offered by the school.
( The Board of Education has dealt very
literally with the city in arranging u
course in manual training SO as to
assist our young in a vocational sense,
to fit them to earn livelihood, and
thus to benefit our city's magnificent
manufacturing interest by supplying
Intelligent apprentices. The demand
for high school graduates has more
than kept pace with the number gradu-
ated fsom year to year, showing that
the opinion held in this respect was
more than justified by the result. The
rapid growth of the city, the increased
interest in education, and the training
and advantages afforded by the high
school, have greatly increased the
school attendance
There was another Potent factor
which came up for solution in the
shape of the large demands made upon
the primary schools for seats, and which
last year compelled the renting of a
private house to accommodate sons of
those knocking for admission. This
new school has large attendance, and
1T IS the opinion and judgment Of your
committee that il still better accommo-
dations were provided, the attendance
would be still larger. Naturally pro-
vision must be made for these aprli-
cants for seats during the first year of
the primary course.
The demand could be met BY the
construction of new primary school
buildings in various parts of the city,
but. this would only in part solve the
problem of increased school accom-
mediation. We would not add single
seat to the present grammar or high
school accommodations, and it would
leave us under the necessity of in
creasing the capacity of some of the
grammar school buildings, and also
increasing the capacity of the present
High School building which will be
taxed beyond its seating capacity the
coming term, by additions at a large
expense. This method of enlargiug the
building would prove, under the most
favorable circumstances, highly up-
satisfactory in every respect 1t would
also prevent concentration of pupils
in smaller number of buildings,
which experience has shown to give
better results educationally than when
pupils are scattered in smaller groups
over large territory.
The second course for the Board of
Education to pursue was to put up a
suitable building for the high school,
which would result both in giving
relief to the pressure exerted by ap-
plicants demanding admission into the
primary schools and in providing a
hitting home for our rapidly -growlng
high school.
The latter course commended itself
to the various members of the Board
of Education as the wisest and most
businesslike as we'll as being to the
best interest of the city. Accordingly,
the members Of the new building com.
mittee and others, including our late
worthy presiding officer, Mr.. Baird,
visited Scranton, Pa, and at later
date brooklyn, N. T., for the purpose
OF inspecting the handsome high school
buildings erected in those cities.
The building in Scranton commended
itself most favorably to the visitors as
model building, suitable in all re-
spects for the purpose-a building
modern in its appointments, com.
modious, we'll ventilated, and archi-
tecturally a credit to any progressive
city in the land.
From the data thus secured plans
were invited to be submitted by archi-
tects IN this and in other cities and
the Board OF Education, after full and
free discussion, adopted one of these
plans which, however, was considerably
changed 10 order to reduce the cost of
tie building.
The bid Of A. S. Resd & Brother Go.
was accepted at a total cost of S145, 400,
and that of Ii. A. Miller for heating,
lighting and ventilating, at cost of
$42,737.
The Board of Education had about
Sl0O, 600 in sight to apply on the con-
tract and by somewhat anticipating the
annual appropriations could in six
years pay of the total Indebtedness
course most economical in character
The same method was pursued in the
case Of School No. "a, and in other new
buildings. The building was begun
under contract and about 500, 200 has
been expended in its construction thus
far.
Now some suggestion is made that the
work upon this very much needed stiuc-
ture should, at this late day, be entirely
stopped, and remain stopped until APP
plication can be made to the Legisla-
ture for permission to issue bonds a
year hence. This is brief statement
OF the needs, inception and the present
status OF the new high school building.
1t IS the unanimous opinion of the
committee that to stop the operations
now going on would be most unwise for
Q number of weighty reasons. In the
first place 1t would be highly detri-
mental to the building. It would be
injured many Thousand dollars. There
is at present an example of the ttpenny-
wise and pound foolish" policy In the
building of the Boys High School in
Fhiladelphia, begun some years ago and
left in an unfinished condition. The
Injury to the building is placed at more
than 800. 600. We are confident that
the members of the Board of Education
and the good people of Wilmington
would not sanction course fraught
with SO much harm.
Again the Board Of Education was