Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-05-11

In these twelve rooms, then, we
should accommodate but 4S0 scholars
lat most, since by reasonable and
recognized authority no one room of
ordinary size aud under the charge Of
"a single teacher should contain more
than 40 pupils; but as matter Of
Ifact according to the present enroll
lment on the east side Of the river
these twelve rooms are occupied by
535 scholars. making 50 more than
there should be- To this number we
must add at least 81 children who
fought to receive kindergarten instruc-
ltion had we Recommendations for
them, making total Of 30 scholars
lat the present time Who are not just
lly cared for. Then in connection
with this We must consider that the
growth in the High school during the
period tj1Sens has been as steady as
that &c the grade schools so that in
two years time, il not sooner. II will
be necessary to take from that build
ling All Of the recommendations which
lie now affords the grade schools.
Therefore. % the above 90 we must
add 40, making a total Of 100 pupils
which will be ready for a new school
building as soon as IL can he erected
lbesides the IS now at Middle Street
which finally gives as % scholars
lat least, to commence our school
with.
| Furthermore, 1t has been the policy
| of the school board during the last
few years to discontinue, as far as
possible. The rural schools in order
that the children living in the conn-
TRY may have equal privileges with
those attending The city schools. AL
ready on the east side Of fhe river
Three of these rural schools have been
Eabnhshed and it Is fair 10 say that
within the next five years practically
all of the scholars in the country on
1.-The east side of the river will attend
Itjfe city schools. If this assumption
| is correct, added to the rapidly in
ereasing numbers in the city proper
will be those scholars. coming from
outside districts. In making a sum
mary of this kind, taken, as II must
| be. from statistics covering period
| of years IL is possible only to present
| the er-crowded condition tpon a
basis of uniform number in each
grade and We're there this uniformity
lit would make II much easier to ac-
commodate this given number of
scholars to the number Of school
rooms available; hut this is decidedly
not the true situation because in n
given year there may be many NOR.
scholars in one grade than there are
in each of the others, whereby it be-
comes absolutely necessary each year
| to devote to one grade more space
than is necessary for each of the
others. For example, in one year ii
may happen that the scholars are so
divided that there will he the re-
CURED number to fiji one of the
buildings. when in the other building
| some one or more grades may be de-
cidedly er-erowded.
Territorial Location of Scholars.
| The city schnolszssn the. east side Of
| the river today include scholars from
| the Chelsea line II the North Parish
school distance of about seven miles
| reaching back into the country as far
as Toeus and Bolton Hill, and taking
/ care of all of the children living in the
vicinity of Toeus. the Spaulding dis
trict and the Hospital district. Thus
| the total area covered on the east side
| of the liver is greater than that on the
west Combining this area. however, to
/ the city limits. bordered by Eastern
avenue on the south and Pettinein-s
| Corner on the north. statistics taken
| April l, 1911, show that of scholars un-
I der - years OF age. 176 lived south of
Cony street and 23S lived on the north
| side of ConS street or but 81 scholars
more located in the uortheriy half than
| in the southerly
I Then. IL we take into consideration
the pupils coming today from the coun-
1 try located back of the southerly por-
tion of the city. We find it represents
| many more than those coming from the
/ northerly portion since included in the
1 former are all of the scholars from the
| Hospital and Spaulding districts.
| or children under eight years of age
living on the south side of Cony street
there were TO- all OF such an age as to
! make Ii impraetieable If not unreason-
| able. To send them from their homes to
/ the Williams school, at least % of whom
were kindergarten pupils who should
moi be- and IL ana by far the greater
number of cases are not, sent to the
| Williams school in which is located the
only kindergarten ciHss on the east side
1 of the river This makes it necessary
4 each year To keep at home many chil-
l.lren in this part Of the city who could
/ If We had a Kindergarten at Middle
/ street, get a start OF one year earlier
! and who should be at school instead Of
/ at home for the entire year From Abe
| homes located on Eastern avenue. Ar
| senal. Cedar. and Davenport streets and
] on the upper part OF Stone street the
1 distance to the Williams school is far
/ too great for scholars under eight
years of age to travel four times day.
to say nothing of the children under
| six who under no consideration, along
/ the busy streets Of city. should be
/ sent so far from their homes. Some
/ may suggest that to alleviate the over
crowded condition of our schools a new
4 Grammar school is not necessary be-
/ cause an addition could be placed on
| the Williams school or four-room
building built on the Mid6le street lo-
| cation. but a hasty glance at these fig
I ures shows that the former proposition
| ,,,rt,,al,- s,,t.rarti ll,s a,al