The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-09-28
l|PFCTORS EXPLAIN
SCHOOL SITUATION

No. 8:
Acting upon the petition of SO
legal voters of this school District
=. Board of Directors has called an
..,or special election for October Z.
,a,1 to consider the issue of 500
AN m of negotiable bonds of the
r,..rict for the purpose of purchas-
I. The site selected at the recent
..hool meeting. and erection thereon
h,gh school building, and furnish
!, and equipping the building.
n has been suggested that some
s,tement from the School Board is
a..irable at this time and conform
!, TO the expressed wish we wish
!. mhmit the matter as it is viewed
" us.
IN the first place. in our own JUS
Hacstion, we desire to say that the
,diyidual members of this Board
-. taxpayers in the District and
nov have no desire to add to their
arm burden in the way of tax pay
III nor to that of anyone else I'M
rcessarily, but the Board is con-
limited by a serious situation in the
No Of the schools and some action
,otine to the relief of the situation
b imperative.
That the schools are crowded be-
yopd the point of proper efficiency
nut be apparent to anyone who
vill take the trouble to investigate
~ facts. However, the Board feels
me Of its position in stating that
iii oyercrowded condition is due
otirely to the lack of proper room
nd facilities for the conduct of the
lifh school department. The pres
ut school building was not con-
sructed for nor intended to serve a
modern high school, but was intend
asa grammar school building
md was erected at a time when Ell
kasburg had no high school and
none in contemplation. The rooms
pv occupied by the high school
lpartment were, for two years al
II the erection of the building, used
\ the State Normal School as tenn
wary quarters pending the erec-
IN Of their own building. lmme-
lately after the Normal School was
tan,ferred to it's own building
hgh school" was organized and the
lyh school has steadily grown IN
lunbers and in it's requirements un-
q for the past three years it has
puvn beyond the possibility or
Ruper treatment in it's present quar-
In. For instance, the assembly
NON has seating capacity of only
~ and yet in that room we are at
tapting to house today an enroll
nat Of 1853. The class rooms for
ntitation purposes are so small that
thaes have to be divided in order
b conduct Rotations. There are
y laboratories for physical or chem
~ experiments which are required
Oh high schools of this class, and
y work must of a necessity be I'M
Mperly handled
On the other hand, if the high
0ool department could vacate its
Fesent quarters the building would
s'l0rd ample room for all of the
nnmar grades of the city when
Mnented, as at present, by the nor
Mmal training school. 1t is the de-
Inc school authorities to do de-
H0mental work in the higher
paues Of the grammar school ana
Wy can at present be only INSULT
"atly done, whereas if the assembly
"m were available for this purpose
work could be carried on so as
eompare very favorably with the
VII that is being done in other
WINS throughout the State. Such
~ IS now being done in such
'es IN Eastern Washington as
WIN Yakima, Prosser, TOppenish,
hennewick, the last named place
"'as now engaged in the cOnstruc-
high school building for the
'spendent use of the high school
"partment.
~ tne suggestion that the proper
-aaer OF handling the situation is
A number of ward schools in
"us parts of the city, we have to
mat in our judgment no relief,
~ser, for the present situation
s% oe Afforded bysuch an arrange
We must not overlook the
wat the crowded condition in
4'sn school is responsible for the
condition elsewhere, and the
n. iact that it is impossible in
~. esent building to afford any
'or the high school even
the grades were scattered
NE community.
~uer to make a suitable high