Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-01-31
WHY We MUST BUILD
The School Situation Explained. Why
We Need \ New High School
Building.

! The School Situation Explsined.-Why
We Need New High School
Building.
To the voters of the willmar School
district: -.
The board of education has called a
special school meeting to be held at
the high school room on Monday
evening, Feb. 5, to consider the ques-
ton of what to do to provide adequate
school room for the coming year. In
order that the voters may be prepared
to judge intelligently what is needed
the board instructed the undersigned
to prepare statement of present con-
ditions.
At the present time every room in
each of the school buildings is occu-
pied, and most of them are overcrowd-
ed, a number of the teachers having
between As and 60 pupils. No teacher
can do full justice to more than 40
pupils. One grade occupies room
rented in the library building. There
is only one room that is not we'll filled,
and that is in the Garfield building,
which is SO situated that it cannot re-
lieve the congestion in the other build
ings. The total enrolment at the pres
ent time is as follows: first grade,
138; second grade, 131; third grade,
l04; fourth grade, Ito; fifth grade, Ill;
sixth grade, 80; seventh grade, 81;
eighth grade, So; high school, 131;
total, 955. The eighth grade teacher
has 63 pupils under her charge up in
a room in the attic of the high school
building. It will be absolutely neces-
sary next year to provide two teachers
for this grade, and get more room.
If the high school is moved into new
quarters the present high school room
will be just right for the eighth grade,
which will probably have nearly 80
pupils then, there being 81 pupils in
the seventh grade this year.
But bad as the condition is in the
grades, it is far worse in the high
school in regard to room. The present
room accommodates .95 pupils. The
enrolment is 13l. The other pupils
have this year been seated in the room
used by Miss Gjems asrecitation room.
Even with this makeshift there is no
provision for next year. Eleven of
the pupils will graduate, but there
will be at least fifty others to enter the
freshman class next fall. Counting
out such others as may drop out with
out finishing the course, making the
most liberal allowance for this based
on past experience, we must provide
broom for~a an increase ot-&about, IS
pupils in the high school. The labora-
tory is overcrowded, it being neces-
sary to put in seats and using it for a
recitation room in addition to the pur-
pose for which it was fitted up.
The growth of the Willmar schools
is due not only to the natural increase,
which is in itself sufficient to demand
room for some forty new pupils year.
There has of late years been a marked
tendency to continue the work thru
the grades and into the high school.
Instead of dropping out in the fifth
and sixth grades, as was formerly the
rule, most Of the pupils finish the
grades, and go into the high school.
The present junior class numbers 81
pupils-the high record ever reached
by this class in our school.
It therefore becomes necessary to
build a high school building, with at
least two grade rooms in it, to provide
for future need. This condition was
foreseen two years ago, and the school
meeting in 1904 provided for setting
aside 5000 then on hand and for
levying tax of $5, 900 a year for two
years, and for erecting such build
ing in 1906. It was thought at the
time that SIS, 900 would be amply suf6-
cient for the purpose. The board has
carefully considered the question and
inspected number of school build
ings, and it has come to the conclu-
sion that it will be impossible to build
an adequate structure for less than
$25, 900, including all equipments.
The board has no authority to levy
any more tax; it cannot make a con-
tract for any more than the SIS, 900
voted; it cannot even engage an archi-
tect, except conditionally, until it finds
out if the people are willing to pro-
vide the funds. For this reason it
cannot give exact figures as to what
the building will cost. If the meeting
decides that the building shall be done
this year the board desires authority
to issue bonds to the amount neces-
sary, in addition the amount raised
by taxation for this purpose. The
board will then be in position to pro-
ceed to find out what the cost will be-,
and will then issue just enough bonds
to cover this cost. OF course the meet
; ing will fix maximum beyond which
the board cannot go.
Another question that will probably
be brought up if it is decided to build
is about heating plant. It will OF
course be necessary to provide for
heating the new building. The ques-
tion is if it would not be more eco.
/ nomical in the end to put in a new
+! plant under the old building of sutfi-
cient capacity to heat both buildings.
It is the unanimous opinion of all ex.
: perts that have been consulted that
J the saving in fuel would in a few years