The Jersey City news., 1906-01-12
PRESIDENT WARD
MAKES REPORT
Retiring Head Of the Board
Of Education Writes of the
Years Accomplishment
PROGRESS OF SCHOOL BUILDING
THE HIGH SCHOOL TO BE COM
PLETED THIS sPRING-PRoB-
LEM OF ACCOMMODATING THE
INCREASED NUMBER OF
SCHOLARS.

INCREASED NUMBER OF
SCHOLARS.
President John H. Ward of the Board
Of Education, who retired as president of
the Board, but who is still a member,
made his annual report last night. He
said in part
In presenting my fourth annual report
as president of the Board Of Education,
l take pleasure in commenting ostffa-
vorably upon the attitude which the MEM
bers of the Board have always maintain
ed toward their official duties. All have
regularity and promptness. This atten-
ton to duty indicates the interest which
you have shown in your work as mem
bers of the Board of Education. As
might be expected, from what has been
said, all matters affecting the schools,
whether proposed by you or suggested
by you, have received most careful at
tention and have been freely and fully
discussed We have always felt thar
the appropriations made by the Board of
Finance to the school department have
not been as large as they should be. The
problems which confront the Board Of
Finance in making their annual appro-
priations to all departments are so SER
ious that it is impossible for that Board
to assign to each department all the
money which it claims as necessary. +
am glad, however, to notice that the
Mayor and Board of Finance have shown
a sincere desire to increase the amounts
appropriated to our department.
I'VE must approve the policy of the
financial department in the matter of re-
pairs to schools. This has been discussed
in previous reports. 1t has been CUSTOM
airy for some time to make 9 nominal an
nual appropriation for this purpose and
to supplement this in the summer by a
special appropriation which oftentimes
was made too late to make thorough re-
pairs during the vacation season. This
year the Board of Finance has adopted
the policy Of making an appropriation of
$4,000 for repairs for the fiscal year,
with the understanding that no other ap-
propria ton will be made during the year
for general repairs While we all recog-
nize that this amount cannot be consider
ed sufficient to cover all repairs that may
be needed, yet we must approve the pol
icy because it places in our hands AT the
beginning of the year the total amount
which we may expect of the Board of
Finance. It will need most prudent and
cautious expenditure in order to enable
us to keep the buildings in good condition
with the amount mentioned.
The great progress in school construc-
ton which has characterized the lass
three years was continued during the
year. At the beginning Of the. school
| term last September, the extensions to
| Schools Nos. s, 8, II, n and 20, which
| had been begun the year before, We're
| opened. and additional seats for about
| / 800 We're provided. Last spring at the
earnest suggestion of the Mayor, bonds
were issued to the amount of $3.50, 900
! for the following purposes: Reinodeling
| of School No. 6; enlargement of School
| No. 21. erection of a new school in the
| Greenville sectin, TO be known as School
| No. 30; erection of new school at the
/ corner of st. Paul's avenue and the Bou-
| levard, to be known as School No. 81.
| At the suggestion of Mayor Pagan, a
| plot of unusual size was purchased for
! the Greenville school. This ground con-
sists OF thirty city lots and besides fnr-
nishing sufficient space for the erection of
| school, is designed to provide a play-
! ground for the children of the neighbor-
| hood So, also, the plot for School No.
| 81, which was acquired from the Erie
| Railroad in return for concessions made
| by the City, is also large enough for a
| public playground. This policy Of ac-
/ quiring public Fairgrounds, it need not
be said. must be commended In the high
| est terms While for some years it has
1 been the policy of the Board to acquire
large sites for school purposes, and thus
to furnish Fairgrounds for the pupils. the
| Board has never felt that it could afford
| to use the money intended for the erec-
ton of schools for the purpose of pur-
! chasing Fairgrounds OF such size us
would be adapted to the needs of til,
/ neghborhood. 1t therefore welcomes the
| policy which will gradually acquire for
| the boys and girls of the city ample OPP
portunities for exercise and recreation,
and it hopes that this policy will be kept
| up in the future.
AS you already know, the new High
/ School is nearly finished. There is no
reason why it should not be completed
/ during the coming spring
'.Fhe growth of our city is so rapid
and the number of children in the schools
is increasing so fast that at no time can
1 we afford to cease our efforts TO secure
new buildings. It may he established as
certain that if we desire to keep pace
with the growth in population we must
furnish additional acconlmoda tions each
year for from 200 to sos pupils.
This is an increase which we cannot hide
or evade 1t is bound to come. and it is
bound to grow greater with each year.
Indeed all who take pride in the progress
! and development of the city must look
upon this increase with satisfaction But
4 it will not be sufficient for US to express
i our astonishment at the rapid growth of
j the city, nor our admiration of the inn
provement in the standing and wealth Of
the city. We must remember that it is
not mere size which makes. a city inlpor-
ta1it, nor can we pride ourselves on
those features of prosperity such as in,
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