The morning journal-courier., 1908-04-25
saturday, April %. 1908.
THE NEW HAVEN SCHOOLS.

Colonel Isaac Ullman and Dr.. spang
OF the board of education were present
at the meeting of the board of finance
Thursday evening to ask for an in
creased appropriation for the compile
tion of the new school in Lafayette
street. Warned by the fearful school
fires which have occurred IN different
parts of the country the board of edu-
cation wisely seeks to anticipate a like
calamity here by reducing the height
of school buildings and increasing the
area upon which they are to stand. In
cidentally Colonel Ullman remarked
that the city Of New Haven is some
100000 behind IN It's school apparatus,
and added the suggestion that a bond
Issue should be made to catch up with
the needs of the school district and
that In the future special school tax
Should be laid each year for the pur-
pose of maintaining the necessary
school standards.
While the taxpa yer may shy at
suggestion which spells an increased
expenditure and be annoyed by 1t, So
Der reflection will convince him that
Colonel Ullman's position Is more prac-
teal than theoretical. II may not be
approved at the present time, when
money Is tight and employment scarce.
but 1t VIII have. sooner or later. to be
considered from the point of view of
the obligation which rests upon the
city of New Haven to adequately care
for the school needs OF the district
Those needs are distinct and definite
and they grow out of a better under
standing OF the sort of school build
ings required, and out of the steady
increase In the population of the city
itself. In seeking to make tho Lafay-
cite street school one of two stories
instead Of three the board of educa-
ment. If land was not so expensive in
the congested parts of city It would
be even better If school buildings were
limited to one story, and those school
buildings given plenty of adjoining
land for play purposes. We are not
sufficiently familiar with the precise
financial difficulty which faces the
board of finance at this time. and can
therefore only consider the theoretical
phase of the suggestion made as Ia
the Lafayette street school. From that
point of view It would be almost UNI
pardonable not to contemplate favora-
bly, the proposed change in the plans
since the sad story written this year
of school catastrophes, growing out OF
lofty buildings, demands an appeal To
ones conscience not to be measured ir
cold dollars and cents.
The fact that New Haven is 5000, Ool
behind in its school equipment Is more
sensational than the statement of 1t
Tt would not surprise us to find tina
the estimate Is a low one In anothe
generation the school buildings of thi
city will have to be either entirel!
made over to suit the demands bein.
more and more made upon them, or re
placed by new and modern buildings
School rooms are no longer suffi ,ert
In addition there must be ASSEMBLE
rooms for school and neighhorhoot
uses. Roof gardens even are ,omin
into use especially in the cbnSeSte'
parts of all cities 1t is being lotliae,
that the public school syst2m doe
moio than educate the child ZEN Of
given district, II enters into the scotia
life of the neighborhood and becomes
determining factor In the processes q
assimilation. In a sense its spher
has so far broadened as to take o
some Of the aspects of social settle
ment, The expense which this broad
ened view of the schools usefulness oo
casions can no more be escaped tina
can the expense occasloned by tn
maintenance Of highly discipline
fire or police department Like the car
of the streets. the building of sewer
the Improvement of the parks, the pro
lection of the public health and ii
erection Of public office homes, the cal
of the schools Is definite and inevitable
Nor Is this the outgrowth of loci
pride in our educational system 1t
the result of a realization that II
school system is the most importar
department Of local government upo
which the progress, the developmer
and the protection Of the city Itself d'
n Ponds, To be told, MS we virtually al