The evening star and Newark advertiser., 1907-07-20
MAY USE old SCHOOL
GRANDPAS' BUILDING NEED
ED FOR OVERFLOW.
South Orange Board of Education Is
Informed of Anticipated Cramped
Conditions in Fall.

After more than a quarter of century OF
idleness, so far as holding school IN II is
concerned, South Oranges oldest scnool
building erected in 1872, may again be put
into use for educational purposes because
there Is not enough room In the present
schools TO seat the pupils.
The scheme to use the old school again
was brought MP by Superintendent OF
Schools Henry w. Foster, of South Orange,
at the annual meeting of the South orange
Board of Education last night. After ne
had read his annual report, In whlch ne
said that the present room capacity OF
Columbia School was not enough to serve
the needs of the increase in attendance ex-
pected during the coming year, he stated
that there must be more school room and
at least one more extra teacher provided
for to meet the necessities of the pupils.
He recommended that the board look wise
ly into future problems.
The teachers committee. the committee
on sites and building committee was then
ordered to take UP the matter and report
at the August meeting of the board.
When first told of the crowded condi-
tions of the school the trustees expressed
surprise. Mr.. Ball. who is chairman Of
the teachers committee, said that the
matter should be settled Immediately In
order that good teachers could be Sc
cured Trustee William B. Yereance OBJ
jected. Aand said the problem was too i'm
portant to be able to solve in an hours
time. He said that the additional ex-
penSe would be great, and that he would
refuse to vote on the question at that
time.
Trustee Henry G. T. Martin spoke Of
the manner in which some OF the other
suburbs were compelled to put their pupils
ON n one-session scale in order to meet
the demands. He however, was against
until the next meeting, and in the. mean
time will be looked into thoroughly by
the committees.
perance Hall since the present Columbia
School building was erected. has been
used for various purposes. After 1t ceased
the South Orange Temperance. Associa-
ton, from which 1t derived Its name.
This organization went out of business
f1p for III the nan rst Mfs election district It
latter became a dance hall, and up to
few months ago was used as pool parlor
The building is located on the Hughes
property in Irvington avenue, near Acad-
emy street, adjoining the present Column
bia High and First Street School build
ings,. 1t Is because of It being SO close
to the present schools that Mr.. Foster
recommended the use OF the old ,building
again. 1t contains but two rooms. Some
of the village grandfatherS were educated
In it,
Superintendent Foster said that the in
crease in the coming term may not be SO
great, but with the same increase as last
year there will be insufficient desk room.
He claimed that the capacity last year was
taxed to its utmost. In his report on at
tendance last night he said:
'In making estimates for rooms, desks
and text books the highest enrolment
for any one month is the most important
factor; the average attendance governs the
amount required for ordinary supplies.
During the past year the highest monthly
enrolment at the Columbia School has
Increased a. at Maplewood 27 and at Hill
ron 81 the average daily attendance has in
creased al Columbia School q. at Maple
wood 10 and at Hilton none.
These are very moderate increases
much less than might easily be anticipated
considering the number of new houses
that have been erected within the district
The space assigned to the elementary
school at South Orange is practically hlleu,
and has been for more than year Under
is embarrassing; and the need of more
room becomes more pressing each year.
I'm the elementary school at South
Orange the highest monthly registration
was 492. In the preceding year 1t was
47a making an increase of IL.
eff the increase the coming year is
no more we shall have COS for the twelve
rooms now available for the. elementary
school, or an average of forty-two to each
room 1t is. Of course, impossible to ar
range for Just the same number in each
roam The individual class can hardly
have over tnirty-two or thirty-three The
thirty-five. I shall find great difficulty
in classifying the pupils. and with the
present prospects my estimates for two
rooms run up to fifty or over. In my
Judgment we shall need to open another
room and provide another teacher, and