Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-02-04
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Hard Time HeaiiDg Inc District
 Schools This Winter.


 education held last evening Mayor Thoms presided. Committeeman Jill son of the Bunker Hill school district appeared before the board on behalf of request for two additional teach CTS in the school. There are nve teachers there at present and all the grades are taught. But there Is plenty of room for more pupils and many of the members of the board did not think it would be fair to the city schools to grant the request Of MT Jillson. The average attendance is 37.
 The discussion of the matter re- solved itself finally into question of authority to engage any more teach CTS and 1t was tabled to get the opin- ion of the city attorney.
 The committee on rules have de- cided upon some minor changes and they will be reported at the next meeting.
 Commissioner Castle reported things at the Oronoke school to be in a dreadful state. The attendance has increased one, making four pupils in the district and the school house is generally so cold that 1t is all but unbearable. For three months there has been water in the cellar and the floor serves as a whetstone for the wind on which 1t eyidentLs sharpens it's teeth and makes the pupils dance to keep warm The state of affairs in the Park road school are not much better. Sometimes Miss Bergin, the teacher, has to open wide the win dows and doors to let in a little refreshing air, and again she has to stuff the keyholes to keep in the heat. A boy named Miller acts as janitor, but as he is not under pay he is his own boss. On motion of Con- missioner Chapman it was voted to inform the committeeman that un- less the Oronoke school is properly heated it will have to be closed.
 Janitor ,Begley of the Driggs school sent in call for help. It was stated that since the new addition has been occupied it is impossible to keep the floors in a half decent condition. It was stated that the cement floor in the basement is poor job and that dust fills the hall ways like sand storm. It was decided to let the matter stand for the present. The matter of placing an electric motor in the Mulcahy school went over.
 The committee on school houses re- ported the following appointments: Carpenters, Charles Richmond, Pat rick Reilly and Thomas Fitzachery at $3 day; painters, Anthony Manion, Michael Shannahan and Frank Moran $2.50 a day; masons. lanes Hurley, $4 day.
 The matter of placing fire escapes ln the old Croft school was referred to a committee.
 Superintendent Tinker sent in the following report:
 would report that on account of the cold 1t was necessary to close the rooms of the Park road school on Thursday and Friday mornings oi last week and this Monday morning The Oronoke school has been even more poorly heated than the Park road building. both are certainly no credit to the city.
 would report to the board that the conditions at the Lincoln school are steadily growing worse. The smoke from the chimney of the re- frigerating plant. when the wind is northerly, is driven into the cold air fiues and thence into the school rooms. so that the odor Is very per ceptible, and the walls of the rooms are being rapidly covered with soot. While visiting one of the rear rooms, I noticed that in period of hali hour, the entire building was five or six times enveloped in smoke that belched forth from the nearby chim- ney. The principal and the janitor informed me that there have been times when 1t was impossible to dis tinguish the children on the play grounds on account of the smoke. It seems to me that on the approach of warm weather when 1t will be necessary to have the school room windows open, the situation will be at times almost intolerable and I dol not see how any change for the better can be expected. During the period referred to above, a switching engine was on the side track. which extends to the school yard, and add ed It's noise to the noise of the engine in the refrigerating plant. I take tAis occasion to call the attention of tAe board to the conditions at this s;hool in hopes that the proper com. nittee may make a thorough investi- gation of this building and If they deem 1t wise, report some plan that will result in permanent betterment.
 It was decided by the last board that the present building ought tc be replaced by a school to be erected somewhere west of North Willow street. Two locations are feasible; in the first place the new building could be located south of Hillside avenue, and the boundaries of the Lincoln district as they are at pres ent: secondly that portion of the Lincoln district. south of West Main l street could be incorporated In the Croft district, and that portion north of West Main made part of the Driggs district. and a new building | erected to accommodate pupils whc live in the northern and northwest ern sections of the present Driggs district In either event, inasmueh l as available sites for school houses are rapidly disappearing in the above section of the city. 1t would be ad. yisable to make some arrangementsl