The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1905-01-25
NEW HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING.

To THE EDITOR: The plans for
new school building are not new.
The mem bers of the board of educa.
ton have realized for several years
that the present building was mad
.equate and that new high school
building must be built in the near
future, if our high school was to be
maintained. With this in view
they have been paying off the in
sdebtedness and preparing for this
expense so that when the time should
come it would not be a burden to
the district. Meanwhile, by shift
ing grades, by renting building
outside. and by using hall space
and cellar for classes, they have
postponed the action from year to
year, until the present time. The
time has come, however, when it
seems impossible to delay the build
ing longer and maintain the stand,
ard of our school. In fact, it has
already suffered in the case of our
high school.
The board of education has been
very conservative in this matter,
and have given it careful consider
alton. They r, "a iz4 thai the dis
Srict is now in huancial condition
to carry this thru and scarcely feel
the expense, and without materially
changing the rate of school tax
which is at present lower than most
of the towns of two-thousand popu-
lation or under in the state. Our
school tax has been maintained for
several years at 16 or II mills, while
many neighboring towns pay from
20 TO 30 and even more.
In order that our district might
be prepared for this undertaking,
our high school has struggled along
under the greatest difficulties,
while nearly all of our neighboring
cities have provided their students
with modern high school quarters.
Our high school was only planned
for fifty pupils, and the enrolment
has now reached over 100. We
have but one class room and that
very small one, for all these pupils.
The high school teachers aud pupils
are working under the greatest
and would be utterly
discouraged but for the prospect of
a new building The present build
ing is a good grade building, ar
ranged in almost uniform sized
rooms for this purpose, and for that
reason us not suited for high school
and could not meet the requirements
of a high school without an entire
re arrangement at considerable ex-
pense. Hence, building grade
buildings would not answer the
needs at all.
Again, if we should exclude out
side pupils, Redwood Falls would
be the only city in Minnesota to do
so. and besides we would lose large
appropriation from the state, that
are made for the express purpose OF
re-paving districts for this expense.
Our school would no longer be an
accredited school and our graduates
would not enter higher institutions
sas they do now. Besides, such an
act would brand our city with a
reputation that would be difficult to
explain away. Our own pupils
would be obliged to go to some
meighboring city for their high
school education, as we could not
umaintain high school under these
conditions.
After due consideration and con
esultation with architects and with
the state high school inspector, i
IS the decision of the board that i
would be more convenient, more
economical, more central and better
Eor the school all things considered
TO place the high school building OF
the same lot as the present build