Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-12-27
TEN REASONS WHY.

Of the Board of Education to decide
to place the new building on the Gen.
tral grounds were:
lit would save the expense of an
other site, and would enable the
board to begin work Immediately up
On the needed school room.
2.-The boiler in the present build
ing was found to have sufficient ca
pacity to heat the new building, hence
the cost of another heating plant
would be saved to the district.
3.-Because conditions incident to
the soil and topography Of town site
Of Great Bend, it is impossible to Sc
cure a suitable basement in the south
or north part of the city. The ridge
which runs through the central por-
ton and on which the Central grounds
are located permits the construction
Of a building with useful and ade-
Quate basement rooms.
4.-The Central grounds are more
nearly in the center of the school pop
ulation and a building located there
on would accommodate more pupils
than any other site which it is posi-
bic to select in the city. A carful in
vestigation of the resident portion of
the city reveals that 49O children of
school age live south of Lakin Avenue
with two school buildings already To-
Gated south of that avenue, while 6S1
children of school age live north of
Lakin.
5.-By bringing the seventh and
eighth grades to a building. on the
Central grounds, the advantages of
the Public Library would be brought
more directly to their notice; thus
bringing pupils of the proper age in
contact with one of the most potent
factors in education in modern times.
6.-The benefits of Domestic Science
and Art, and Manual Training have
been demonstrated so often and in so
many places that it would be folly to
Justify the wisdom of Offering this
work to the higher grades by argu-
ment in this place. Everyone who
has given the matter reasonable
thought recognizes the value as
means of education. By bringing the
higher grades contiguous to the high
school building these subjects can he
taught without the cost of additional
equipment which would be necessary
If the building were located elsewhere.
7.-0ne of the tests of efficiency of
any school system is its power to hold
the pupils through the course. 1t is
evident that many pupils in the sev-
enth and eighth grades and in the
Freshman class of the high school
drop out of school because they fail
in one or more subjects although per-
fectly capable in other lines of school
work. 1t is found that many of these
cases of failure are due to poor prep
aration in seventh and eighth grades.
These pupils will quit school before
they will return to lower grade in
a building away from the high school.
II grade building is placed near the
high school and run on the same plan
as the high school it would be an easy
matter for deficient pupil to take a
subject in a lower grade and at the
same time do regular high school
work in other subjects. This would
save many pupils from completing ed
Ucation before they are fairly started.
S.-The development Of the physi-
cal man is just as essential as that
of the mental. Every authority on edu
cation recognizes this fact and gives
athletics a prominent place in the ex
ercises of school. School authorities
everywhere are arranging and equip
ing modern buildings with gymnas
iums suitable for properly conducting
and taking care of this important
feature of school work. The advan
tages of a gymnasium in building
contiguous to the high school woul(
give the boys and girls of the uppel
grades the same advantages as woulC
come to those in the high school un
NCF Tue dUoNS COHulllOuo. ANOuc Du
a short-sighted policy would depriv,
the children of a community of th'
benefits of a gymnasium.
9.-The saving to the district il
E the cost of operating the school plan
would be much less than if locate
elsewhere. The fuel for heatin
would be much less, the janitor sci
vice would cost less. There would b
a material saving in the cost of teacl
ing force, at least the cost of an e.
ira principal would be saved. By o.
Grating the school on the departmel
tai plan the same amount of work ca
be done in less time and the equ;
number Of teachers can do more wol