The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-05
NEED OF TWO
HIGH SCHOOLS
Educators Declare the Problem
Has Become Serious.
MORE FACILITIES IMPERATIVE
sUPT. CHRISTENSEN SAYS CON-
DITIoNS NEED ATTENTION.

A meeting Of the principals of the
city schools will be held in the board
o. education rooms next Wednesday to
discuss ways of dealing with the prob
lem of supplying high school facilities
for pupils who will soon be ready for
the high school course.
In the opinion of City Superintendent
Of Schools Christensen and other edu-
Gators it is only a question of very
short time when two high school build
ings to accommodate the pupils of the
city win not only be a crying need,
but an imperative necessity that will
have to be supplied in some way by
the school board They regard the
rapid and constant increase in the
number of high school pupils, which is
growing dangerously near the limit Of
the schools facilities for accommodate
ing them, the most momentous matter
now confronting the school board and
one which requires early and decisive
action. 1t is the belief that within a
year or more the city win have to
have two high school buildings, prob
ably one in the western and another
in the eastern part of the city, else
there will be more pupils clamoring
for a high school education than can
possibly be given it. The question of
what TO do with this ever increasing
army of students is one that is causing
the proposition to have two high school
buildings to be agitated in educational
circles at this time.
High School Already Crowded.
superintendent Christensen, in talk
ing of the matter yesterday afternoon,
said:
1t is matter of only very short
time when it will be imperative that
the city have two high school buildings
to accommodate the pupils who are
graduating from the lower schools and
are anxious TO continue their education
in the higher grades. The attendance
upon the High school is already ap-
preaching the limitation Of the IA
cilities of the school. and what TO do
with these other pupils who are coming
on is agitating those Who are inter-
ested in seeing the youth of the city
continue their education. 1t is my be-
lies that within year it will be abso-
lutely necessary to have two high
school buildings in the city.
pupils in the High school, and at the
end of the present school half year
there will be in the neighborhood of
go more pupils from the lower grades
ready to enter and take up the work
in the higher school. These would
make over 1000 pupils in the school.
and with the present facilities it would
hardly be possible to accommodate
them. The question of what to do with
these pupils, to say nothing of the
others who win come after them at the
end Of the year, is a mOmentous one
and the principals Of the different
schools will hold a meeting in the
board Of education rooms next Wednes-
day to decide what shall be done. If
they cannot be put in the High school
1t will be necessary to give them the
High school work in their respective
schools the remainder of the year But
this does not solve the problem of the
army of students that is coming on
further behind. The only solution is
to have two high schools"
Urges Two High Schools.
Mr.. Christensen stated that the prop
osition Of having a high school in the
western and another in the eastern
portion OF the city, the advantages of
which are very evident, had been adj
vanced, and he thought this should be
carried out
1T is plainly evident" said Mr..
Christensen, that with a high school
building on the west side and another
on the east side, all pupils could be
accommodate and it would be an in
centive for more pupils TO continue
their education in the higher school,
because Of the more easy access they
would have to the school. Then, too,
the school on the east side would draw
the/ pupils who are now attending the
preparatory department of the Univer-
sity of Utah. The university is anx-
ious to drop the preparatory depart
ment, and the building of a high school
in the eastern portion of the city would
cradle them to do so, because those
pupils could be taken care of by the
high school,
Bonds Would Be Necessary.
The matter of building two high
schools had been suggested to the
school board, but the question with
them is finances. The school district
is already bonded to the limit and the
only way in which the board could
raise funds to build these schools would
be for the taxpayers to vote the neces-
sary bonds This, then, in the eyes Of
those who advocate the building of
two high schools, resolves the matter
into question of whether the tax
payers would prefer to vote bonds to
build the schools or let the youth Of
the city who desire a higher education
take chances on getting it.