The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1913-01-14
MORE SCHOOL
FACILITIES
IMPERATIVE
Board of Education WrestIes
With Problem of Providing
for Increasing At
tendance
NOTED ARCHITECTS TALK
OVER HIGH SCHOOL PLANS
Increases Granted to Several
JanitOrs-SchooI Savings to
Date Over $4,000

"A well attended highly instructive
| and entirely harmonious regular meet
ing of the Board of Education was
held last night, at which even though
| q, number of architects prominent in
the East elaborated upon the detail
already supplied by their previously
invited contempo1 aries with reference
to the building ofsa high school, plenty
of time was allowed for formal busi-
ness
| One of the most interesting features
| of the meeting which became officially
prominent through the report of
School superintendent Charles W.
Deane is the fact that the Bridgeport
schools are seriously overcrowded- Of
fetal report for the four weeks ending
January 10; places the registratinon tn at
15,462 pupils, an increase of 1,04s over
the number recorded for the cores
ponding period of last year. The
| average daily attendance. is placed at
II, 500. an increase OF 346 over the
previous year.
From the details of the report it
also became known that while the
East Side suffers particularly from
lack of school space and threatens to
become crowded beyond capacity, the
Shelton district is fast becoming popu-
and that even the -Maplewood school,
now supposed to be adequate is far
from deserving the model reputation
for capacity it has attained.
From the report concerning this
school in particular as well as the re-
marks by superintendent Deane to the
Board while it is recognized by those
understanding school work that
maximum of ~ pupils should not be
exceeded per teacher many rooms IN
this building exceed the quota given.
In some schools throughout the city as
many as 81 pupils are crowded in
room, the average in all schools being
4 8 per teacher.
Recommendations to relieve the
present and threatened congestion
were made as follows:
I. Purchase of land and the con-
struction of an eight room building in
the BoStwick avenue district.
2. Four-room addition to the Gar
s. Additional land and building
to take the place of the Nichols street
4. An eight-room building in the
Lincoln school district.
s. school site between Shelton and
Sheridan schools.
8. Also site between Shelton
school and Island Brook.
Eleven portable buildings are today
in use besides many additional feet of
floor space in buildings not erected for
greatly Increased registration fully rs
rooms are needed to permit of proper
distribution and classification of pupils.
A report submitted by the finance
committee and accepted by the board
showed teachers salaries to be $45,-
657.9O, janitors salaries S1,875.74 and
miscellaneous bills $4,0S4.79-
Recommendations of the Committee
on School Houses carried into effect
last night included payment of 5000
per annun to James SiSco janitor
of the High street school; salary Of
William Best be fixed at $500 per an
mum while an increase of $25 per an
mum was accorded to William Ryan,
janitor of the Shelton school and c. |
L. Luehr of the Hamilton street school |
all. becoming effective January 1. |
1913
School savings on deposit at the |
close of business January 10, 1913, |
amounted to $25,265.95.
That an additional pair of doors as
a means of exit from the Summerfie1d |
school building at a cost of $497 as |
bid by local contractors is an expen- |
sive luxury was concurred in by the
Elmer H. Havens and it was decided |
to reject the proposition and grant the /
committee upon schools power to sub
stitute swinging glass easements upon |
the lower floor for the present sash.
At the request of Alderman John |
Callahan,@o of the Third district. the
school house committee was empow-
cred to rent or otherwise permit the
use of the present unoccupied Brew
ster street wooden school-house for
the purpose of a boys club under the
direction of Agent David Ginand of
the board.
Expiring insurance upon the Kelly
high school site was referred for re-
newai to the finance committee.
Accepting the invitations extended
broadcast to meet the board, several
architects journeyed from New York
to present their views on the new |
high school building while conlmuni-
cations from such noted authorities on
school architecture as r. Clepson
Sturgis of New York, Wilson Potter of
Poughkeepsie, and Parker, Thomas 6E
Rice, indicated desire to be present
at later date or meet mem bers of
the committee elsewhere. On these
representations it was decided to af-
ford Mr. Sturgis and others an oppor-
-un1ty on Wednesday evening when
besides closing the doors to further
xeepsie to visit the new high school
here may be arranged.
Joseph A Jackson, of New York,
who has designed such buildings as
St. Mary's ParochiaI School, Bridge
port, High schools at Waterbury, Mer-
person and submitted plans and esti-
mates of a similar structure to that :
contemplated which he had erected at
Iuntin gton, L. I.
Joseph o. Bettelle, of the firm of
Iuilbert & Bettel1e, New York, was
advent proved not only Interesting in
/ wide display of photographs of {
schools undertaken by his firm all !
over New England, but in point of !
1gures and general knowledge upon :
he subject he awoke active interest :
If every member present.
Among the facts presented which
irew special comment was the fact
hat East Orange, N. J., numerically :
ar less in population than Bridgeport /
Continued on Page TWO II