The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-04-05
The Needs of Our Schools.
Report Of the Chairman of the School
Committee.

Report of the Chairman of the School
Committee.
BELFAST, ME-, Feb. %, 1906.
To the Honorable Mayor, Aldermen,
and Common Council of the City of
Belfast:
The School Committee in its twelfth
annual report would state that in the
main satisfactory work has been made
in all the schools.
AS usual, namber of teachers have
been changed because of increased pay
offered by other places.
Your attention is called to the fact
that by recent changes of population IN
that part of the city we are confronted
by the possibility of being obliged to re-
establish the school in the so-called
Union District. At present there are
sufficient pupils to warrant this, and II
they are to remain there it would be
wise to start the school. If this is done,
it will necessitate quite extensive re-
pairs on the building. This house is the
only one in which the old plank seats
remain, and with this exception the
school property is in good condition.
That part of the superintendent re-
port which treats of the needs of our
High School is especially called to your
attention. 1t is no reflection on the
present teachers to say that the school
is insuf1iciently developed in certain
directions 1t is simply impossible for
them to find time for the studies desired.
If our present position on the list OF
approved schools is to be retained we
can not drop any studies from our
existing courses of studies, and to add
studies we must increase our teaching
force. 1t would be distinct step back
ward to take any action whereby the
school would be removed from the list
of approved schools and the increased
expense of another teacher is so slight,
we have included it in the estimates for
the ensuing year.
You are again asked to give your at
tention to the condition in the higher
grades Of the schools. Although this
has been done every year since the
establishment of this Committee, moth
ing has been done toward permanently
relieving them.
Inasmuch as local financiers have
stated repeatedly that the erection of
school building on the Common capable
of caring for all the pupils now there
can be financed, it would seem that
steps should be taken to secure the
building at once. That the existing
conditions may be more fully appreciat-
ed, the following facts are given:
The high school building was erected
as the Town House in 1924. On the
establishment of the County of Waldo
the second story was finished iii 1927.
The building was so unsuitable for the
assembling of any number of people
that 1t was speedily declared unsatis
factory as a Court House and was
finally sold to the old Central School
District The upper hall was built as
Masonic lodge room in 1862. The So
called grammar school house was built
in 1929.
Both these buildings were erected be-
fore any scientific attention had been
paid to the needs of scholars and con-
sequently neither of them meet the
specifications that are absolutely re-
quired today.
i 1t is generally figured that school
room should provide twenty square feet
of floor surface or 240 cubic feet air
space for each pupil, with about ten per
cent additional for teachers space and
aises The following figures, comput-
ed Oh this basis, show the crowded con-
dition.
HIGH SCHOOL, MAIN ROOM.
Number OF pupils. Observation-Disclosures. 10
Floor space per pupil. .................. II
Number Of pupils actually room for.'... 81
GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Number of pupilS...... ................1U6
Number of pupils actually room for.... 10
Floor space per pupil ...........- 10
GRADE VIII.
n lmD 81 OIL pupils .!..... ~
Number OF pupils actually room for. 10
Floor space per pupil. .................. b
GRADE VII.
Number of pupils. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. so
Number of pupils actually room for...... "a
Floor space per pupil. ................. IA
GRADE VI
Number of pupils. ....................... AZ
Number of pupils actually room for...... 30
Floor space per pupil. .................... IA
GRADE V.
Number of pupils. ...::.......:..... IS
Number of pupils actually room for. 81
Floor space per pupil. ........"........ IL
GRADE ".
Number Of pupils. ;,;;........::......' %
Number of pupils actually room for. 80. 26
Floor space per pupil. .................. 10
Modern estimates provide for p
cubic feet of fresh air per minute per
pupil in schoolroom that has from $50
to 265 cubic feet air space. There is
absolutely no provision for changing
the air in the present school rooms ex-
cent by the doors and windows. View