The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-06
CITY NEWS
PROBLEM CONfRONTS
THE SCHOOL BOARD
Grade Schools Greatly Over.
crowded and No Means of
Relief in Sight.

According to the figures taken from
the books of Prof Smith, the super
intendent Of public schools, it is shown
that there are in st. Paul 1,616 enrolled
grade pupils who, in the language Of
the superintendent, have unsuitable
accommodations are quartered in old
store rooms, or are compelled to re-
ceive only halliday instruction" With
the additional facts gathered from the
same source, it is evident that the
question Of giving proper accommoda-
tons and sufficient sittings for the
grade pupils will. in the end, over
shadow the agitation Of the high school
question that is just now attracting so
much attention. AS member of the
board of school inspectors said: =
Without the grades being properly
cared for there can be no high school
pupils"
The facts are easily obtained, and to
that great majority of the citizens who
have children in the schools they will
be easily understood, for there is hard
ly a family in the affected districts
that does not feel with more or less
force the lack Of sufficient sittings for
the grade pupils. Naturally the fig
ures begin with the First ward, and
where it so happens that the condi-
tons are appalling. The Cleveland
school has 272 pupils in the store an
nexes and on halliday sessions; the
Grant school 102 pupils who attend but
half day; Harrison, halliday pupils,
172; Ericsson, halliday pupils, "a; Pha-
len Park. just opened, halliday pupils,
"a; making a grand total within a
small territory Of ia.
Other Wards Better Off.
Other wards are not so badly off. In
the Sixth there are IS pupils attending
but half day, and 125 in the Hen
bricks school, making a total Of 210.
In the Eighth ward the Whittier has
III pupils who are accommodated but
half day, and the German has 80; total,
1877. In the Eleventh ward the Han
cock has two annexes, accommodating
120 pupils, who should be in the regu-
lar building. All other districts can get
along fairly we'll at this time although
three rooms entirely unSuited for
school purposes are used in the First
ward schools, accommodating 120 pu
pills; two such rooms are used in the
Second ward, with 80 pupils; in the
Sixth ward three unsuitable rooms,
with 115 pupils; in the Ninth ward,
three unsuitable rooms, with 100 pu-
pills. This makes the grand total here
tofore announced, 1,616.
It may be said that this congestion
will be relieved by the twenty rooms
that will this year be added to the
schools. These twenty rooms, by crowd
ing forty-fve pupils into each room,
will, accommodate 900 pupils. OF the
twenty rooms, the First ward gets
eight, the Sixth ward eight, and four
have not been located. But the facts
presented by the figures do not war
rant the belief that the congestion will
be appreciably relieved.
Big Increase Every Year.
In February, 1903, the total number
of pupils admitted to the schools was
24,753, as compared with 25,904 in 1904,
showing that in one year the pupils adj
mitted have increased 1,151, or more
than the proposed new school buildings
will accommodate, without figuring
upon the certainty Of a like increase
next year. 1t is believed that the in
crease for 1904 over 1903 will amount
to 1000 before the end of the year.
and 1t is confidently predicted by those
who are in a position to know that the
increase of 1904 over that of 1905 will
amount to 1900 pupils. leaving the
graded schools in worse condition
than they are at the persent time.
Supt. Smith is taking no part in this
controversy, which threatens to rage
with xyio1o,,oo fo,. co,,,e fi,,,o
merely having furnished the figures at
request, and it is believed that they
speak for themselves so thoroughly
that no further mention will be made Of
high school matters after the present
hearing is over. And the public has not
responded to the invitation to present
its views on the high school problem,
and there is little likelihood that it will
do so.
The general opinion, at least as it is
expressed, is that the grade schools
have been overlooked in the discussion
that has occurred about the high
schools, which has hinged around the
report Of the special committee Of the
board Of school inspectors. 1t is posi-
BILE that the figures presented herewith
will recall attention to the younger
children.
Can't Improve Conditions.
And this showing is made in the
face of the fact that rooms have been
added to the graded schools since Sep
TENDER, 1902, when the new Mound
Park school in the Second ward, con-
tanning nine rooms, was opened. In