The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-05-08
NEED OF LARGER BUILDINGS
Buildings Erected in the Past Have Not
Been Large Enough to Meet Imme-
date Demands and Superintendent
Would Prevent Further Mistakes.
(By Mrs, Mary D. Bradford)

l
other public buildings there appears to
be a strange disregard of the con-
mon human experience that growing
communities are growing.
If the factor of growth had in the
past been taken into account in the
construction of the school buildings
Of Kenosha, the city would have saved
tens of thousands of dollars. There
would then have been no need of put
ting an addition on the Frank school
at an expense greatly beyond the cost
of the additional room, had such room
been made part of the original con-
struction. What is true of the Frank
is equally true of the Balm school, and
of the addition now being built.
The Durkee school was not an old
building when it had to be pulled
down to make room for larger one.
The Columbus school was filed as
soon as it was opened land for the
past three years it has been necessary
to have two basement rooms used as
school rooms, and during the past year
TO rent still another.
The high school was outgrown while
still a new building and had to be en-
larged at an expense far beyond what
would have been necessary had the
building been adequately planned in the
first place. 1t will be remembered by
many Kenosha citizens who were here
in 1890, how larger building was de-
sired by the more far sighted members
of the school board, and plans for that
structure were submitted. But these
were set aside largely through the in
fuence of some members of the school
board whose view of public service
was hemmed in by the consideration of
their own private interests. The pres
ent building was erected, and in few
years was completely outgroWn. The
attempt to adjust it to the increased
demands. for modern school facilities
resulted in the structure recently con-
demned as unsafe.
Growing Kenosha has now come to
point where it must have a still larg-
er high school, and, if it would main
tain the educational standard Of other
cities of its size, it must have improv-
ed and increased educational appli-
ances and facilities.
Kenosha never seems to have had
any faith in it's future; or it seems to
have lost sight Of the inevitable rela-
tion Of growth to the school problem.
No city has any business Ito grow
faster than it can provide adequate
school facilities for the increasing
child population. Or, if a city must
grow, then it should make it it's prime
interest to provide for that future, by
seeing to it that that greater city
Of the time-to-be" shall be provided
for in the only way that will insure
its real prosperity An educated citi-
zenship must be prepared for 1.-THE
rank and file must have the best edu-
cation that the elementary schools can
provide, and just as many as can be
induced to do so, or who desire to do
so, must be given the opportunity to
prepare for still greater efficiency
through the advantages of a good high
school--a high school adapted to the
needs Of the community.
The time is not far distant when
so-called secondary education, will not
only include the ninth, tenth, eleventh,
and twelfth years of child IS school
ing, but will reach down and take in
the seventh and eighth years. More
than that it will reach beyond and
offer a college year or two for those
young people who want it, ard who
had better be at home than away
from parental control during those
years. That is the tendency in edu-
cational development today. Many
new high schools are being planned
large enough to admit the so-called
grammar grades, thus affording child
rem Of that age the benefit Of differ
entiated courses of study and speciali-
cation in their teachers.
1t is not alone present emergencies
that must be provided for. If Keno
sha were to draw upon it's own ex-
periences, or upon the experience of
other growing communities, it would
realize that anything it may do mere
lly toward meeting present conditions
will have to be done over again.
In the long run it will profit this
community or any other under. like
circumstances to take the eomprehen-
sive view, to build for far greater
population than that of today, to
build not for today, but for twenty
| five or fifty years hence.
The school board of henosha last