Mexico weekly ledger., 1906-02-08
TIE HIGH SCHOOL QUESTION

4
THE HIGH SCHOOL QUESTION
| The question OF a new High School
has been before the people for some
time, and the necessity OF such a
building is not fully realized until
after a personal inspection Of the pres
ent editice. The building is inade-
quate, the sanitary conditions are ex-
ceedingly poor to say the least;because
of the large classes and small space TO
accommodate them, individual work is
not considered, but q complete class
is promoted regardless of the good and
poor grades; the results attained are
entirely unsatisfactory to instructor
and pupil. and many other minor de-
tails point to immediate action.
II school building Is erected it
must be not only large enough for
present needs but for future, as this
city Is rapidly growing. We have
talked TO number interested In the
movement and also made a. thorough
inspection Of the present building and
find that to erect the proper kind Of
High School, which will prove salts
factory IN every detail, at least s42, 900
must be expended For this sum a
handsome three-story building can be
erected, containing ten Recitation
rooms,an Auditorium seating five hun
dred, an Art room, Manual Training
room, Toilet rooms and a Play room.
Nevada has just issued bonds for a
$4,000 High School. Mexico will
soon be the size OF this city and then
we will again suffer from crowded
classes II building Of proper proper
tions is not erected. A $4,000 build
ing will not be satisfactory, and II a
High School is to be built, 1t should
be adequate In every detail.
La the N 5rth Side School, which is
both grade and high school, over seven
hundred pupils are crowded into four.
teen rooms. On the second floor there
are seven teachers and over three hun.
dred pupils. On this floor one room
has music class OF over a hundred,
and some have to carry chairs IL they
wish to sit; In one room fifteen feet
long, twelve feet wide with one win
dow for ventilation there is a class
Of thirty and several others not less
than twenty; another room twelve
feet by ten feet, with one window, has
several classes Of twenty-five; in the
Labratory, a room thirty feet by
thirty feet, the walls lined with cases
extending two feet out, six tables
five by six feet, surrounded by chairs
and a long line Of experimenting
benches, is quite cozy with a class OF
thirty-six and many others OF similar
size. AS the experimenting benches
are in the class room the students
have 20 wait until a vacant period be-
fore they do any work.
When the classes change rooms the
hall ways are congested, and In place
OF the usual five minutes II takes al
most ten for everyone to make the
change On the third floor there are
over one hundred and fifty little ones,
and their opportunity for escape in
case Of fire is very slim. A room is
supposed TO have only thirty pupils,
but almost every teacher has over
fifty at present. The Manual Train
ing and Art room are together in a
basement room, poorly lighted with
scarcely any ventilation, only a very
few being able to work in this small
space at one time. A new High School?
Yes, and one that will not prove too
small In a few years 1t not only
means better results, but better pro-
lection to our children who, should
the present building be enyeloped In
flames, would perish by inclneration
or be trampled to death 10 the rush
for escape. A $4,000 building by all
means, one that we may be proud OF
and will further the advanced work
OF the present efficient instructors.
A SOS, 600 structure cannot cover all
Of the necessities for good and high
class work, and e40, 600 is only little
more money, but means much more as
to room and proper equipment The sit
uation Of the school should not be too
Inear the square as it would impare
scholarship. students will attain bet
ter things by remaining about the
building than loafing up town.