The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-03-03
Resume Of the Progress Of City In
struetiOn.
The Needs of the Deer
ing District.
Growing Demands Of the Manual
Training Department.

The regular monthly meeting Of the
school committee " . elj vest arday al
ternocn. All u the mem ers were In at
tendance.
MIR Peabody submitted the following
annual report:
REPORT or SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
To the Citizens Of purland:
According TO the philosophy Of govern
ment so nobiy conceived by our ancestors
q system OF free education for rich and
poor ali Ike Was emphnticaily proclaimed
as one Ct the duties and privileges Of the
peopls nos only was such an institu-
ton fell to be the safeguard of the state
In Its political character, but experience
has taught that among the blessings
which our popular form Of government
offers to its individual citizens. none
produces more abundant fruit than the
enjoyment Of a public education. In no
form does the tax paid ty the sc1tizen
come hack to him more oonvincngij
than In the education OF himself, his
usighbor, and his children, which makos
the com munity be lives in safer and
more desirable place in which TO dwell.
None OF the functions OF government
affect SO vitality the life OF the people as
this. IL Is therefore fitting that while
our city charter has placed In the car,
u
buildings aud the material accessories OF
education, IL has given the direction or
the methods aud near Of education, the
soul within the body, to a com mittee rep
res n ing directly the people of the ssve' :
al wards. 1t Is the duty of this CON-
mites nov to lay before the people whom
IL represents a report OF the work done
by IL during the past year, to place In the
hands of each oitizsL statement OF how
his money has been expended for the
IL. .N,g "a 40 ANsr
Of his neighbor.
In answ erin fer this work, 1t Is proper
to notice that the excellence Of our
schools dsyends fundamentally en- COD
ditlon to which the mott CONSIDER -
LAHORE OF the committee can add only
fra ton Of worth. IL is the good fortune
of Portland that it's schoole hold sn I'M
portapt place in the heart OF the people,
that Its tesehe-s are from tbose who
share tie sonial and intellectual lie Of
the COZ munlty, and that the culture
AID worth of the thousands OF families Ia
aaoh that the home il abs to co-opeTat1
intellie My with the school-room TO pro-
duce the best rt'suits. The work tor the
committee, therefore, has been a pleasant
one, not beset with discouragements but
pursued with the sat ying sense that
every effort to improve end to recon-
struot would meet with the Intelligent
consideration OF the citizens of Portland.
CHANGES IN PORTLAND SCHOOLS
Among the changes which have been
effected In the grammar and Urinary
schools in the old wards, the renovation
OF the Park Street sohoohouse is the most
important. This work has teen IN pro
gress fer several months, aud before the
beginning of another school year a mod
ern school building thoroughly adapted
to the needs of the dis ri ct will be ready
for occupancy. While the Psrk Street
school house Ia being rebuilt the children
of that district have been provided for In
the Casco Street, Mcclellan, Jackson and
other schools Come of the classes have
been kept intact. but where this was i'm
practicable the pupils have been dis
tributed among the regular CLASSES In the
nearest primary schools. Th superln-
tendent and committee have been 90 some
pains to provide for this homeless school
without causing discomfort from the
overorowding of the other primaries.
Substantial repairs have been made on
the Casoo Strs ct school-honse. The base
rusnt has been placed In perfect condition
in accordance with the suggestions, con
tanned In the report of the school commit
tes of last year. When some Improvement
is made in the ventilation of the school
rooms In this building the heslth and
comfort of the pupils will be well pro.id-
ed for.
In several schools an increase In the
teaching force has been found necessary
A new room was fitted up In the Elmer
son school and one in the Vaughan
Street school, and an additional teacher
was placed also in the Vest school
DEERING DISTRICT.
The annexation OF Dssring placed un
der the supervision OF the committee a
number of schools of necessity different
from those OF Portland. The more sparse.
ly ssttled portions would not admit OF
the close grading of the Portland schools.
The school-houses were as q rule over
crowded, and the sanitary conditions
were bad The teachers were faithfully
endsavoIing to do their work, but under
conditions which were In many Instances
unfayorable to the bsst results. 1t was
sarly seen that q large amount OF work
schools In the new wards, net only to
bring them to EN- equal fonting with the
other city schools, but also to meet the
needs Of a rapidly increasing population.
Superintendent Lord has devoted a
large pars of his time to this work and
deserves the highest praise for what he
has accomplished. The amount OF work
which has been done In these schools can
hardly be realized by the public.
summary Of the results Will perhaps
prove Of interest.
During the April vacation, the old
DeeIing High school building was fitted
up for this accommodation of she Nor
Eirs Corner Grammar school, 1hs
seventh, eighth and ninth grades were
trar sferred to it and placed in charge o.
Miss Mocers, and 1t was given the nam,
of the DeeriDg Center Grammar school.
This change left better accommodation
for the drst six grades at Morrill's Cor
nsr, which we're placed In charge Of
Miss Anna j. Goddard hs principal. In,
seventh, eighth and ninth grade pupil
In this Riverton and North Deerins
schools were transferred to the new
grammar tohool in order TO reduce tn
number of grades IN those schools. III
city lAid the transportation, one rounS