Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-15
ADDITION TO HIGH SCHOOL
Board Of Education Goes on Record in
Favor Of the Plan.
TWO MEMBERS In OPPOSITION
Contracts Let for Construction OF
Addition 20 the FRrnRm Street
school and Repairs 60
other buildings.

Tile buildings and property committee
recommends that a new wing To. cores
pond with the east wing OF the high school
building be erected on the south side OF
the old building and that tho work on tho
same be commenced at the earlist ttmo
practicable.
BY the adoption Of the above resolution
the Board of Education last evening took
the first definite steps toward relieving
the congested conditions in the high school
building and the fulfilling OF the pledge
to the people when school bonds were voted
that a portion of the funds would be used
for the charging OF the high school
facilities. Considerable argument preceded
the taking OF the vote and Members Nc
Cague and Kuhns voted against the propo-
sition for the reason that they believed a
separate high school building should be
erected on the north side instead OF en-
larging the present structure.
Mr.. McCague led The fight for a separate
building contending that there was danger
that the central school would become UNI
wteldy and that better work could be done
in a school of 400 pupils than that OF
2,4OO.
THE Central high school building today
is the fifth largest school in the United
States. and II we add the proposed wings
il will be the largest in the nation" said
Mr.. MCCague. I'VE must sooner or later
erect a high school building on the north
side and possibly another on the south side.
we can never accommodate all in the one
building. The board Is now engaged in tho
construction Of three large ward school
buildings, two annexes and has tonight
taken steps for the construction of q third
annex. We are not ready with the finances.
the bonds have not been sold and the bonds
were voted for high school purposes not
| To- D., .,.i,r T., Tia, Tantra1 gnInA1 -
Member Christie, who brought in the re-
port Of the buildings and property com
mittee, stated emphatically that there is
not enough room in the present building,
that moro room Is necessary, that the
money has been voted for the construction
of the addition and that no delay need be
occasioned.
Not Room Enough Now.
superintendent Davidson was called on
and stated that the room in the present
building is not sufficient to comfortably
and satisfactorily take care of the child
rem now. and that conditions will become
worse rather than better In the future.
The present building accommodates 1900
children, the new wing would make room
for 400 more. The superintendent stated.
however, that a north side school building
must be built some time.
I The new wing will contain but eighteen
rooms, the size Of the Lothrop school on the
north side when the annexes now being
added are finished. One hundred and sixty
thousand dollars are available for the build
ing. The original plans call for the build
ing of a complete rectangle around the
old capitol building. Upon the completion
of all four wings the old building in the
center would have to be torn down on ac-
count of being cut off from light and the
Central building would then accommodate
not to exceed $500 children, in the opinion
of the superintendent.
Most Of the time of the meeting was taken
UP with the opening of bids for the con-
struction of the addition to the Farnam
school and the installing of heating and
ventilating apparatus in the same- bids for
painting the Saratoga, Columbian and Mon
mouth Park schools; bids for furnishing
coal to the school buildings; bids for fur
! nishlng cadet uniforms; and bids for va
rious forms of printing for the board. The
proposals were referred to committees and
the board adjoured to meet at noon today
and make the awards.
The gift of f. l.. Robertson of a set OF
sixteen volumes of bound records and re-
ports of the union and confederate armieI
in the civil war was accepted with thanks
and the books will be placed in the school
library.