The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-03
Board of Educators Passing
Strange Action.
Declined to Get Behind Play
grounds Movement.
PATRONS HAD RAISED S4OO
Expected Board to Help and
Make It Success.
To Elect a Superintendent ut
Special Meeting.

The board of education at it's regu-
lar June meeting Monday night turned
down the summer playground plan
completely and only got behind the
home garden plan in half-hearted
manner.
The Parent Teachers organizations
of the city and individuals interested
raised nearly four hundred dollars for
organized playground work forthe chill
dren this summer. They toiled ardously
in the work of preparing for Boy
Blue" and other entertainments fully
expecting that the board of education
would invest an equal amount or
money in the interest of the playground
movement that was generally adjudged
a success last season when $40 was
appropriated by the board.
Now the aspirations of the women
have been dashed to pieces. Play
grounds will probably be maintained by
them, but they will not be the large
and efficient scale that was anticipated.
The report of DIR. c. B. Van Horn,
chairman of the teachers committee
was turned down; he recommends the
appropriation of $500 for the play
appropriation. but L. M. Penwell, w.
E. Atchison, P. w. Griggs and L. NJ.
Jones voted it down.
c. C. Starr. superintendent of city
schools, urged action. He said: Il do
not think that this is the time for the
playground movement to die
superintendent Starr considered the
educational value of the work as being
something worth while
L. NJ. Jones was of the opinion that
the playground plan as it had been
previously conducted has not been
success.
As to the home garden plan. Super
intendent Starr and G. H. Wilmington,
the supervisor have already put it into
opera ton Fifteen hundred youngsters
in no far a
scale. The Commercial club, the To-
peka Real Estate Dealers association,
the Women's Commercial club, the
Clearinghouse Realty Co, and indi-
viduaIs have raised $500 to be used in
prizes in the garden contest among the
school children. They expected that the
least the board of education would do
would be to appoint supervisor for
the summer. Instead of this c. H.
Wilmington was given the place for the
month of June only.
The teachers for the school year 1913
1914 were chosen by the board, and the
date for the opening of the city schools
next fall was set at September s. This
is the week of the state fair, and as
usual the board will probably be urged
to change the date. or else allow the
children a half holiday or two as was
done last year.
Report on the Buildings.
L. NJ. Penwell, chairman of the board,
spent an hour reading a volurnlnous
report on the condition of the Topeka
school buildings. He recommended that
repairs be made before the opening of
the schools in the fall that would cost
the board several thousand dollars.
He urged that Grant school be mod
ernized by the erection of a 80 foot adj
dition and by making numerous trivial
changes. He estimated that this work
would cost in the neighborhood of $10,-
600.
1t was also his opinion that the Lin
coin school building should be replaced
by a new structure in the summer of
1914. Sooner or later, he asserted, it
will be necessary to build ar addition to
the Buchanan school.
In the report Mr.. Penwell said: II
have discovered work that the board
as a matter of economy have been put
ting off from time to time and in my
judgment some of it has been put off
too long; now the repairs viii cost
more"
No action relative to putting sugges-
tfons in the report into, operation was
taken. P. W. Griggs simply said: Il
move that the report be preserved for
the benefit of the building committee
and the motion was carried.
Told Meeting to Select superintendent
A superintendent to succeed c. c.
starr was not appointed. 1t is proba-
BILE that special meeting of the board
will be colled some time this month
when action will be taken. According
to DR.. c. B. Van Horn, the teachers
committee has not agreed on a super
intendent. The applicants for the posi-
ton have been many. Superintendent
starr asked to have his resignation be-
come effective July 1 instead of August
l. and the request was granted.
A balance of $2,095.96 is available in
the general fund according to the re-
port of the clerk of the board, NJ. c.
Holman The building fund is short
$7,732.S1. The interest, retirement and
sinking funds show small ,salances of
$3,o54.eS, $1,57460 and $1,742.23 respec-
lively. There are warrants outstand-
ing in the general fund of more than
$50, 900, and $4,000 in the building fund. |