The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-11-21
Room Is Decided.

The Seating Capacity Of the
Virginia Schools Inadequate
For Present Enrolment.
SUITABLE BUILDING DEMANDED.
The question of new high school
building has almost been lost sight
of during the past few weeks on &C.
count of the excitement attendant
upon election, but, mindful of the
public, we have taken special pains
to learn the exact condition of af-
fairs. At present we have three
school buildings at this end of the
district, with thirteen rooms for
seating the pupils. This does not
include the extra store building,
which has two rooms capable of
seating about thirty-six pupils each.
|
seating capacity of 558. The total
enrolment last month was $50 pu-
pills, or twenty-five more than the
entire seating capacity of all the
buildings, including the extra store
room.
With these facts, no one will
Question the advisa bility of build.
ing new school house, and as far
as can be learned the preliminary
steps are being taken by the school
board to present to the voters of
this school district for their de-
cision the amount of money neces-
sary to relieve the present condi-
ton. This being the case, we take
the liberty of discussing the nature
of the building we need to keep
pace with our ever-growing city.
We are we'll aware of the fact that
our schools have grown every year
since their incorporation and that
the present condition of the schools
from an educational standpoint is
second to none in the state; also
that we have just been recognized
within the last year by the state
officers who determine the status
of the graded and high schools
throughout the state. We know
that the rate of attendance has in.
creased over ten per cent within the
last three years, due largely TO en-
forcement OF the school law. If this
has been the advancement of our
schools in the past few years, what
can we expect from them in the
future? If they are able to grow
from rural school to state high
school in ten years, we have great
faith in their future enlargement.
Now the vital question is the
character of the building we need
for our boys and girls, a building
which will accommodate the pres
ent need or one that will give us
ample room to enlarge as a natural
growth. Our answer seems unani.
nous among the voters, and that is,
building which will give us the
necessary departments for a com.
plete high school with all the
rooms equipped with the latest ap-
pliances for heat, light, air, books
and apparatus, a building that will
contain grade rooms on the first
floor and the entire second floor de-
voted to high school room, chem
ical and physical laboratory and
recitation rooms, while the space
above the second floor ought to be
so arranged as to give ample room
for gymnasium where the phys
ical side of the children can receive
the necessary development. In the
basement could be placed the heat
ing plant and closets, with large
apartment tor manual training,
which is at present so essential to
our systems of education, and we
believe that suitable rooms could
also he placed in the basement for
public baths. This is feature
which should demand the earnest
attention of the board. Health is
the first consideration for every
child and if light and heat are so
important, why not make cleanli-
ness their equal in the school, as
in the home?
l. Another feature of the new build
ing ought to be emphasized. and
that is its equipment. A grand
structure would be worthless with
out the best and most scientific an
paratus, a library fitted to the needs
of the pupils in literature, history,
science, and large number of
books for recreation reading, lab
oratory suited to the needs of the
surrounding country, and stage
in the gymnasium where public en-
tertainments may be held through
l 1~o l>s~