The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-31
SCHOOLS CLOSE.
Attendance Increases 4S9 Over
That of Last Year.
Topeka Must Soon Have An
other High School.
MR.. DAVIDSON'S PLAN.
Thinks Manual Training School
Should Be Built.
Enlargement Must Be Made
MR.. DAYIDSON'S plan.
Enlargement Must Be Made
Within Three Years

The city schools closed today for the
summer vacation after finishing one of
the most successful terms in the history
of the city.
The total attendance for the year was
4S9 more than for the term which ended
ia 1900. This years total attendance was
1925 for all the schools. This years at
tendance at the high school, which en-
rolled $40 scholars, has brought the fact
to light that Topeka will soon need an
other high school. The capacity of the
present school is taxed now to the limit
and more room is needed. The board of
education will soon have to wrestle with
the question CT an addition to the pres
ent high school building or another
school superintendent w. NJ Davidson
favors a manual training high school.
Our high school attendance this term
has been larger than ever before said
Mr.. Davidson. THE capacity Will soon
be reached, then something will have to
be done in the way of more high school
facilities Two propositions have been
informally discussed by the board of ed
ucatiOn- One is to enlarge the present
building and the other to erect a manual
training high school similar to those in
Denver, Kansas City and other large
educational centers. a manual training
high school course can be made to sup
plement or become a part of the course
of study as prescribed in our present
high school course. The manual train
ing can be made an addition and the
SCnOiarS can take all LHelL IS III the pres
ent high school course and with it the
manual training or the course of study
in a manual training school can be part
classical and part manual training.
a manual training course for boys
would be mechanical drawing, wood
work and iron work and for girls would
be a course of training in sewing and
cooking. Such a school should be cen
trally located and have plenty Of room.
The Kansas City Mo- manual training
high school has the manual training and
the academic work all in the same build
ing. Before the manual training school
was adopted in Kansas City the question
arose whether it would decrease the at
tendance upon the high school. The
question was settled when it was opened
for its attendance quickly rose to the
capacity of the school and without in
the least detracting from the high school.
Within three years Topeka will be
forced to have another high school and
1 believe 1t should be a manual train
ing high school, There is a demand for
that course of training. 1t will not
diminish the attendance upon the CLASH
cal high school It would mean dou-
bling Of attendance upon the high
school"
In speaking Of the enlargement of the
high school President w. H. Wilson, of
the school board, said:
Expansion has been the watchword
of the Topeka schools for several years,
and particularly with the high school.
Seven years ago it occupied the dingy
Capital block from which place 1t
moved into the present high school
building. At that time with an enroll
ment Of about three hundred, it has now
expanded to 500
The problem now confronting the
board of education is the expansion of
a building for the accommodation of
high school that is second to none in the
United States.''
The enrolment Of the scholars at the
schools for the term has been