Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-06-27
A TALK ON SCHOOL NEEDS.
Light and Ventilation" Makes Suggest oas FOR
sideration at School Me- ting


No citizen who Is interested in
welfare of the youth of our COMMIT
should fail to attend the annual 81 g
meeting which will be held at the :
school building on Monday evening y
9. Important questions must bed : ID
at that time or our schools viii : er
serious Inconvenience in the futu z he
people of Niroq1a have alway = ALT
literally with their schools and now
need only tn know the facts in order
that they may decide what Is necessary
and best to do That they will vote to
hut another newspaper article may assist
them in understanding what is needed.
There has been an inclination to sneer
at the idea that our school rooms were
overcrov.sled i'll lighted and wretchedly
ventilated. but the facts are not to be
seriously disputed by any one who has
given the subject of school facilities any
attention whatever. There viii come a
call from the school board this annual
meeting for an appropriation sufficient
for the employment of two extra teach
ers and the rental and equipment of
two grade rooms that may be tempor-
arily used for school purposes. The call
for new building should possibly have
been made a year sooner; but IL the new
hr'ilding is ready for the school year of
ly1.-2, it will meet the needs of the high
school in time and the first of the new
bonds will not come due until the last
one of the present bonds is paid
The overcrowded grades are the first
and the fourth. In the latter 66 pupils
are already enrolled and this makes NJ
allowance for any new ones entering IN
the fall; in the former 4S were not pr.,-
NOTED and the probabilities are that as
many more will enter the school at the
beginning of the fall term. The matter
of better ventilation has already been
attended TO, so far as is possible under
the present system of heating, while the
overcrowded condition will be somewhat
relieved by the dividing of the most
crowded grades; but the question of
light should receive the careful attention
of the school board Something should
be done to help the present deficiency of
light in some of the departments in the
stone school building.
The question that will come before
the school meeting iris year for decision
is most important one. The school
board will, douhtlesl make their re-
quest and Recommendation in dre form
at that time. A new high school build
ing, central heating llant with the
best system of ventilation vet known
the fan system should be comprised in
that request. and probably will be. Our
high school is already crowded and the
new building viii not be ready any too
soon. Our city is one of the most pros
porous in the state and our high school
should rank second TO none. IL we keep
it in the front rank we must deal liber-
ally with it, and we win not fail to do
SO With the high school properly pro-
vided for in modern, well equipped
building. we will have abundant room
for our grades for some years TO come.
and also sufficient room to allow Of a
manual training department, which
should be a part of every up-to-date
school. However, That Is another
story" as one of our popular writer's
says. The subject of manual training
deserves a series of articles and will be
left for an ADLER pen.
In the opinir n Of the writer of this
article the new school building should
not be placed upon the school grounds
which we now have. There seems to be
sufficient space but it would be a mis-
take to rob the children of any part of
cost more money TO purchase the addi-
tional ground but we are building for
the future The plan of central heat
ing and ventilating plant would be en-
tirely feasible IL the new building were
to be located on block adjoining the
present grounds. and this land could
probably be purchased for the purpose
Our schools should be the topic Of the
hour and these questions should be thor
oughly and earnestly discussed between
now and the time of theannual meeting
On that evening it would be pleasure
TO see SO large crowd assembled that it
would be necessary to hold an open air
mass meeting. The ward school ques-
tion will lie discussed; but, while ward
schools will certainly become necessary
within the next ten years, we do not at
present and will not for some time, need
to divide any grade into more than two
departments. Two ward schools would,
therefore, be the limit for several years
to come and it would not be wise to at
tempt TO choose locations for such schools
until more are needed. By the time we
need four ward schools the entire
| amount of school room now planned for
will be needed for the use of the higher
| grades, AZ they will then all be divided.
| We must build for the future, but we
do not need to make present plans suffi-
cient for the needs of decade hence
| The grade schools will not need our at
| tention for some time TO come if we pro-
| vide the room necessary for the high
| school and turn the present high school
building over to the grades.
| Remember the date of the meeting
! Monday. July 2nd, and remember also
| that it is important that You be there.
LIGHT AND VENTILATION