The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-03-22
Ardmore. OkIa. Mar. IS. 10O!

II has come to us that some voters
are asking why the board of educa.
tion has asked for the sum of 800.
600 for a high school building in this
city. and we deem it but right and
proper that We give to the people
some Of the reasons for our actions
in this regard.
We take II for granted that no one
will question the necessity for
high school building in our town and
that the only thing that the people
are objccting to is the amount that
We asked For it must be remember
ed that we now have enrolled some.
thing over . 100 children; there are
at least 1900 children in the town
within school ages. and II the com
pulsory school law IS enforced as It
should be We would have absolutely
no room to take care Of the children.
As it IS many Of our rooms now in
use that were intended TO accommo-
date not exceeding IS pupils have GO
and 1u ir them. Any one can .atistN
himself upon this point by calling on
Mrs. Washington, Miss Blake Jones.
Miss Mamie Roberts, Miss Hoylc, Miss
Iigdon. Miss Woods and all the
teachers of the high school depart
ment. The health officers have con
demncd the use OF the Easements in,
our buildings in the first and third
wards and we have had 10 engage
rooms elsewhere, even TO run the
schools as they are now run. II Is
true that there are two rooms in the
fourth and second wards that are
not being used, two rooms in each
building, but there are now moro than
enough children I'm those wards 10
fill those rooms and they should he
filled. and will be the next term, and
would have been this term, II we
had had the teachers. As II Is, we
are making n number OF our teachers
do double work, by taking two grades
and in this way many rooms are
greatly overcrowded.
Taking It for granted that everyone
will agree with MS that we need a
high school building, we will attempt
to give some ideas of the demands of
the city as to the size OF the build
ing.
In the first place, when the high
school building is built. in order to
give room in the other buildings, for
lower grades, everything from the Sth
grade up will have to be transferred
10 the high school building, which
will mean that we will have TO have
at least three teachers next year for
the Sth grade. At least three for the
9th grade; two for the 10th grade,
and one for the 18th grade and one
for the 10Th grade. II We put that on
as they are doing in other towns,
absolutely compelled to have now.
But II our city grows as we hope
that It will It will only be a ques-
tion of a few years until we will have
TO have at least four rooms for the
Sth grade, four for the 9th grade,
three for the 10th and two for the
nth and 18th grades. Under the rules
of the board of health it will be i'm
possible to use any of the basement
of the high school building for class
rooms, but II will have to be used
exclusively for boilers, to heat the
building. closets,-and could be used
for gymnasiums, If It was thought
best to put them in It is absolutely
necessary that we have an audtor
M large enough to seat at least 100C
People. in which we could have oul
commencement exercises and Other
entertainments pertaining to the ad
vancomont of the schools.
We have figured from the expert
ence We have had in the building o'
the other buildings and from the In
vestigation that we have made o.
the cost OF high school buildings
elsewhere, that we could not build {
building to meet the requirements o
the school for less than $4,000 ant
we wish to say here that 1t woulC
take economy 10 build II for that
This building to get these rooms II
il would necessarily be about 130 b!
146 feet, two stories high above thu
basement. We figure that TO get
good site, one that would be accept
able to the people, would cost in tn
neighborhood of $4,000. The cost o
heating with proper ventilation sys
TENS in order to make the buildini
healthful would cost at least $1,000
The plumbing and closets would cos
at least SO 900 and the seating an