Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-08-03
MANY NEW SCHOOL
HOUSES BEING BUILT
Josephine County Betterins Its
Educational System-Longer
Terms and Higher Wages.

Josephine county is aking more
progress this year in the betterment
of its schools than in any previous
y year in its history. For several years
past the tendency has been toward
longer terms and higher standard
OF teaching and better wages to
teachers until now the schools of
Josephine county compare we'll with
the most progressive counties of Ore
gon. In the erection of new school
buildings this will be the banner year
for the county for there will be at
least six or eight put up. In size and
cost Grants Pass leads with $l5, 900
brick structure that will make it the
third brick school house for the city
and the fourth in all. the
fourth ward having q wooden build.
ing. This new building will contain
eight rooms and will be fully up-to.
date in its conveniences and appli-
ances. The board in securing the
grounds for this school made an in
novation new to Oregon towns in
providing large playground for the
children. Usually there is barely
space about city school building for
the children to walk about with no
playground except q. too often. germ
infected, basement. About the new
Grants Pass school building will be
two acres of ground, one acre of
which is handsome grove of oaks
and m d Q 8 max ing a.
bealthful, delightful playground. The
basement for the building is completed
and the brick work for the first story
will be finished next week and it
will be we'll toward the close of this
month before the bricklaying is COM
pleted and the roof on. AS the finish.
ing and plastering will take some
time there is no possibility Of the
building beipg ready by the time
school begins the second Monday in
September. Until it is finished the
old building and the rented rooms
will be occupied.
Kerby, which found its school so
large last year as to require the rent
ing of a room to accommodate the
scholars, has commenced the erection
of an addition of one room to their
present building, making it two
room structure. The addition is to be
completed by the first of September,
when school will begin. Eighth
grade work will continue for this
year to be the highest in the school.
but it is expected in another year to
add one or more grades.
Selma is another Illinois Valley
village that has outgrown Its school
facilities. This village now has one
of the handsomest one room buildings
in the county, and it is painted,
which is not the condition of all jose
phine county school houses. and is
well furnished and has a bell in a
neat appearing belfry. The attend
ance at the school has increased to
such an extent that another room was
required to accommodate the scholars.
1t was decided to erect separate
r building near the present school
house. Work was begun on it and it
is expected to have it completed by
the time school is to begin in Septem-
z Der. The ninth grade is to be added
to the course this year and next year
it Is the expectation to add the 10th
grade.
The Jewell district, three miles
south of Grants Pass, will replace
their small, delapidated building
.Uith large fine school house. It will
Oe located on the Grants Pass stage
road half a mile north of the present