The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-14

There is revival of talk about a
new high school. Whether this is
genuine or is merely campaign froth in
view OF the approaching school cleo
tion, we do not know. But the high
school question is one that deserves
very serious consideration. There is u
popular demand for q high school in
the psyt Of the city lying cast Of Main
street. The high school at present is
in the. northwestern part of the city,
occupying q valuable block there, but
the buildings are i'll adapted 10 school
work. The site, bowover, au entire
block Of ten acres, is very fine, com
modious, and the location is really very
fair for the high school. 1t is the
buildings that are unsuitable.
What Is wanted, as it seems to us,
is to have two high schools; ouo at the
present site aud the other ou the East
side. The board lost a great oppor-
tupity some years ago when it failed
TO take advantage of the very moderate
price at which the old Tenth ward
square was offered TO IL. That would
have afforded the East side an ideal
site for a high school, and would have
barmouized well with the corresponding
site on che West side However, that
opportunity was very unwiscly allowed
to. slip by. and now il is not easy 20
see how the board is going TO get j
suitable and commodious site on the
East side One place suggested has
been 10 use the present Twelfth ward
school site, adding to it by purchase
the ground south, that would give it. a
frontage on Second South street equal
TO its frontage on First South That
would be pretty fair site, but nothing
compared TO the site on the West side,
or that might have been got easily aud
chcaply by the purchase of the Tenth
ward square.
This city is growing rapidly, and we
cannot expect, nor is it desirable. to
continue much longer With but one
high school. The material for two high
schools is fairly good right now, and
will naturally Increase rapidly from
this onward. II eau be bur 4 few years
UON Dplb tu6It WIZ siIDDSf
10 fill two high schools with somewhere
from one thousand to twelve hundred
pupils each And that is enough TO
group together In any one school. The
danger Of the sudden permanent set
tlemcnt of this high school question is
in having an apparent settlement
rushed, aud without due cousidera tion
We hope this may not be tho case now,
this provided the present talk is gepu-
inc and not merely for campaign pur-
poses.
The Board of Education started the
high school proposition in this city IL
the first place with two high schools,
one for the East Side and one for the
West side, but it was quickly found
that there was not at that time material
enough to make ii worth while to con
tinue the two schools, and so they were
consolidated and the high school has
always been on the West side; that
side of town having at the time of con-
solidation by far the larger number of
high school pupils, Que consideration
at that time. which is also grave CON
sideration now, was that the board dc.
sired to avoid the necessity of com
pelling the children 10 cross the central
part of the city where there is SO much
rush and crowding, aud where the in.
fluances arc not always edifyinr to the
young persons who see or come in con-
tact with them. 1t is desirable as far
as possible TO keap the pupils away
from the central part of town in pass.
ing TO and from all their school work.
Pursuant to this idea, the board at
first decided on the two high schools.
The idea could not then be carried out.
but now we think that it is entirely
feasible TO do so, and our Judgment is
! that preliminary steps should be taken
accordingly.
The location suggested above in CON