The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-07-20
SCHOOL REP AIRS.
Board Of Education Says It
Has Plenty Of Time
for Them.
HIGH SCHOOL AGITATION DEAD
Addition to School No. IA
a Dire Necessity-No. 10
Needs Alteration.
HIGH SCHOOL AGITATION DEAD


The Board of Education believes that
there will be sufficient time left to repair
the school, even though the usual sum-
mer appropriation is not asked for until
the later part of this month"; There is a
small balance left of the $4,000 given last
July by the Board of Finance, but the
majority of the Directors have either used
UP their shares or are holding back in
case it may be necessary to order any
storm. 1t is the unanimous opinion of the
Board that the Board of Finance will give
the members all that may be required to
put the schools in good shape for the fall
sessions. The exact amount required for
the repairs of the schools is unknown
at present. 1t is quite probable that the
Board at its next meeting will make the
request of the Finance Board for funds
sufficient to cover all expenses.
Director Lewis, Chairman of the Finance
Board of the Board of Education, stated
a few days ago that some of the schools
would not need repairs this vacation
therefore the sum required would not
amount to very much, as far as he could
figure it out at the present time. He
added that he thought the Finance
Board would do the right thing by the
Board of Education in the matter of an
emergency appropriation for repairs.
Mr. Lewis stated that there were some
people who were doing lot of unneces-
sary worrying this warm weather about
the repairs not being completed in time
for the resumption of the fall sessions.
The Board, he said, was in position to
do the work, and would have every school
ready for occupancy by the time the
vacation period expired.
There are numerous matters of import
ance connected with the work of the
Board of Education that are of interest
to those who follow the progress of the
Boards work in furthering the educa-
tional facilities in this growing munci-
pality. The paramount question is the
High School. The committee appointed
to further this project thought it would
soon have the new High School, when
Corporation Counsel McDermott knocked
al the plans sky-high by submitting an
opinion on the law providing for "a new
school
The Senator stated that in his opinion
the act was unconstitutional and that it
would be necessary to secure new legisla-
ton before the school could be built 1t
Is not unlikely that the Senator would
submit a bill giving the city power to
issue bonds for the school purpose at the
next session of the Legislature.
The High School Committee has rested
for several months. A site was partially
selected and submitted to the Board of
Finance, but this body did nothing in the
matter. 1t is quite likely that the mat
ter will slumber until next spring.
Director Charles o. Barker of this COM
mittee said that the mater was practically
dead at the present, and there was no
some time to come.
Another matter of no little importance
is the addition to No. IA School in Union
street, which has been agitated for almost
two years by the various Directors and
the residents. The condition of this school
is a disgrace to the community The
scholars are crowded into the class rooms
like sardines. A visit to this building
when the sessions are in progress would
convince the most sceptical. Two stair
landings have been converted into class
rooms and small children packed in in
great numbers.
The result of this condition of affairs IS
the limiting of several hundred scholars
to half day sessions, which retards their
educational progress and necessitates
their being kept in that one school sew
eral terms longer than under ordinary cir
cumstances.
Director Birdsall of this school says that
the pupils of this school graduate from
one to three years after the average age
for graduating. This proves the state
ment regarding the halliday sessions.
The addition to this school has been
talked of hundreds of times, but nothing
has been done toward securing it. The
building, proposed is to adjoin the present
structure on the city property on the east
side. 1t will have nine class rooms, with
a seating capacity of fifty for each room.
This will relieve the congested state of
affairs in the old school. Director Barker
of this committee said the appropriation
would amount to between thirty and forty
thousand dollars. He did not know when
the Board of Finance intended to give
the funds 1t is not probable that the
work will be started for several months.
Director Barker said he knew of no plans
LnaL ndu- Deeu uTdWu loT lIle proposed du-
dition.
School No. 10 on Johnston avenue in
Lafayette is also becoming greatly over
crowded with pupils. This is COM
paratively new structure, having been in
use about two years. There is an assem-
bly, room on the top floor that Director
Barker wishes to have divided into three
class rooms. He said that the improve
ment would cost several thousand dollars,
and that there was not one chance in a
hundred of his securing the necessary
funds to make the additional school room.
The space is needed and the condition
will be worse when the vacation term ends
for then there will be many applicants
for admission
cent avenue, needs an overhauling. The
basement is damp and water flows in con-
tinually by the boilers. The cornices and
ceilings in several of the classrooms are
! in very poor shape and in danger of fall
ing at any time on the heads of the
children. Metal ceilings were promised
some time ago, but the promise was not
ago to prevent the rooms on the top floor
from being flooded and the ceilings in two
rooms repaired. This was all the work
done in the class rooms.
No. on Erie street Is reported in the
usual rickety state and no amount of re-
| pairing will be Of any use, A new school
| is wanted but the question IS so far dis
| tant that the residents can only live in
| New NO. 20 On Danforth avenue IS pro
| crossing nicely This structure although
contracted to b6 finished IN May, wi ID not