The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-24
School Congestion Forces Building Of
 More POrtabIeS
Temporary Structures to Be Used In Myrtle Ave. and
 Kossuth Street Schools
Board of Education Grants $1OO Increase to Janitors Without Opposition Shift to Summerfe1d.

That the problem of housing the ra- pidly increasing number of school children is assuming formidable pro- portions became apparent at a meet ing of the Board of Education last evening, when after a long discussion the expedient of building two more portable structures to take care of the overflow was adopted as the best possible method of meeting present needs.
 Committees Of the board have scour- ed the vicinities of the overcrowded school houses, and sought in vain for suitable quarters to alleviate present conditions. They have looked for va cant stores, but have found either that conditions were unsuitable. or that the rents asked were exorbitant. In fact, the rental asked for one of the stores examined would amount in a year, to almost as much as cost of a port able structure of the same capacity.
 Conditions are worst at the Myr- tie avenue school. Here some of the pupils are on half time The sessions begin at 8 o'clock and continue late five hour day, the pupils receive about f hours and a quarter, under the dou- ble session scheme.
 Members of the board, with Super intendent Deane have sought to ob tain quarters in the Seaside Institute. But the Warner Bros. Go. could not spare any portion of this structure Stores were sought. One was found in Main street, but this was so far away that it's advantage was ques> toned. and the rent was exorbitant.
 In the KoSSuth street school similar congestion has teen encountered. It was planned to secure vacant store but the owner wouldn't rent for school purposes. Arrangements had been practically completed for the use of a room in the German church, nearby. when the congregation voiced it's opposition and the plans were dropped.
 In the Lincoln school the conditions are equally perplexing. The sugges- tion to remove the kindergarten from Lincoln school to Summerfield school where there is some extra room, and thus relieve congestion, was vigor- ousIy opposed by Commissioner Bell Commissioners Challenger and Murphy favored the plan. It is likely that some of the grade pupils in Lincoln school will be transferred to Sum. merf1eld
 The portable building will be built at once. The cost is about $1,000 each, and they accommodate about the av- craze roomful. Bids will be asked on the work within a day or two. One will be located at the Myrtle avenue school, the other at the Kossuth street school.
 The board voted last night to ac. cept the report of the committee on Schools raising the salaries of the janitors of room schools to S1.9S per day. The present salary is about $500. The proposed salary is slightly over $700. The report of the committee would have left the fixing Of salaries of janitors of larger school buildings optional with the committee. but fol the objection of Commissioner Guilt nan who caused the report to be amended so as to leave the fixing of the salaries with the board itself
 The report was presented because the Board of Apportionment had refused to pass finally upon the ap- propriation for janitors' pay until the Board of Education had taken action. The requisition was based upon the increase in pay. The amount involved in the increase according to Commis- sioner Challenger. the chairman of the committee is about S1,700.
 Mir. Challenger made an eloquent plea for the underpaid janitors. He said even the increased salary wasn't a living wage. that the cost of liv- ing was A 1-2 percent greater this year than last according to reliable statistics. and he complimented the efficiency of the janitors.