The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-05-07

| the special committee from the board
| of school inspectors appointed to con-
slider and report upon what was con-
| sidered the proper solution of the high
| school question, submits three propo-
| sitions, and sets Thursday evening,
| May IL, at s o'clock, as the time for a
| public hearing.
At this meeting the seven members
of the board will be present, and, a
! general invitation being extended to
the persons interested in the question,
| an effort will be made to agree upon
| which of the three plans advanced will
| be adopted, after which it is expected
| that the board will be able to put it in
| force.
The first proposition advanced con-
| templates the retention of the present
| four high schools, the building of adj
| ditions to the Central and Mechanic
Arts high schools, and the eventual
| erection of new buildings for the
| Cleveland and the Humboldt. The re-
port points out that this will necessi-
! tate the maintenance of four separate
| staffs of teachers.
The second idea offered is that
! ground be purchased and a building
| erected at a cost of not more than
| 100000, and that all high school pupils
| be required to attend this school and
/ the Central high, this plan permitting
| the use of the Cleveland, the Humboldt
| and the Mechanic Arts buildings for
| the grades. The argument of the COM
mittee in favor of this plan is that cit
| will be impracticable and wasteful to
| abandon the present Central high
| school building; that by reason of it's
! location it is not adapted to the use
| of the grades, and that under this plan
| an economical and effective education
| of the high school pupils will be at
| tanned" This has been known as the
| Seventh ward idea in the discussion
The third proposition contemplates
| the purchase of a site and the erection
| of building, or group Of buildings,
| having ample facilities for the entire
| high school enrolment of the city,
| meaning that all the present high
| school buildings will be given over to
| grade work and the concentration Of
| all high school work into one building,
| under the management of one principal
| and one corps Of teachers. TT is
claimed for this plan," says the report,
| that the initial cost need not exceed
| that of either the proposed first or
| second plan, and that ultimately it
will result in far greater thoroughness
/ and efficiency and greatly lessened cost
| of maintenance.
Statement of Conditions.
The reasons given and a statement
! of the conditions of the schools is thor
Oughly covered in the report, as fol-
| lows:
| Then, as to conditions, and the duty
| of the board of school inspectors, if no
change in high school plans be made. OF
l1h crfh- h4Y1l
! high school purposes, eXcluSiVely-the Me-
| chanic Arts and the Central high scool.
| Each of these is overcrOwded. The other
! two high schools were originally intended
| for grade schools and are much better
| adapted to grade work than to high school
| work. In the First ward there is a large
| number of children attending school but
half a day. and many others are housed
! in unsuitable anneXes. A Sixteen-roOm
| building, in course of construction in that
| ward will but partially relieve the situa-
| ton, and the board must choose between
! leaving the high school in the present
| unsuitable building and as rapidly as pos
| slpie provide addltlonaI schools for the
! grades or must build high school build
! ing and turn over the present Cleveland
! school to the uses for which it was orig
! inally intended
The. same is true of the Sixth ward. An
! eight-roOm addition is being made to the
| Douglas school. but this will afford no
relief to the Overcrowded Hendricks, or
| to the Lafayette. In the latter the condi-
/ ton is deplOrable, and here the board
/ must choose between a new building for
| the grades or new building for the high
| school.
In this connection it is we'll to consider
( the cost OF erecting high school. The
| building should be adequate, not only for
the present enrolment, but it should pro-
! vide for an increase. No possible tustifl-
/ cation could be offered for building tenn
! porary structures at comparatively great
| expense, because they would not affard
| the facilities for a successful high school
ana would ultimately be abandoned. This
committee, is of the opinion that no suit
able site, building and equipment can be
| provided in either ward for less than an
| initial cost of $780, 600.
In providing these schools no relief
! would be given either to the Mechanic
! Arts or the Central high school, and we
deem 1t imperative that at least tenn
/ porary relief be afforded these schools by
| Sept. l.
History of Movement.
The committee making the report
was appointed Feb. IL. and consisted of
! {. A. Fisher, chairman, and 0. f.
| Holman and Dr. Christian Fry. The
| first move made was in the sending
| out of large number of requests that
| the citizens consider the situation.
much of the same matter now en-
| bodied in the report being used. The
| request that the various organizations
| and individuals declare in favor of
| one or the other of the plans met with
| ready response, and the fight quickly
centered on the high schoI proposition
| and was largely confined to the advisa-
| bility of erecting large central high
| school and abolishing the Mechanic
| Arts, the Cleveland and the Humboldt,
and transferring the mechanical work
| to the new school.
| Varied opinions were expressed as
| to the ACCESSIBILITY of doing this, and
/ strong movement was set on foot in
| favor of erectin ga new high school
| building in the Senevth ward and
maiptaining the other high schools as
| they now exist. The First and the
| Sixth ward people fought against the
| proposed abolishing of their high
| schools, and the Commercial club and
| some other of the leading commercial
| organizations declared in Nheir favor.
| This element will favor the adoption
| of the first proposition offered by the
committee. and there is little or no
doubt that 1t will be adopted.