Connecticut western news., 1913-06-26
FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS tContinued from First Page.)

which will take care of the future ex- pansion for some time. and that one of the present class rooms be set apart for laboratory work, as the present labora- tory in the basement is inadequate and ill adapted, being neither we'll lighted, heated nor drained. He thought that an expenditure of $3,5O0 would put the school house into suitable condition to provide for all grades of work and for future needs.
 In reply to a question he stated that the average attendance was, first grade, 2l BIO; second, 21 22-100; third, 23 2S-100; fourth and fifth, 31 93-10O fifth and sixth. go 22-1O0; seventh and eighth. 36 sS-l00; total average atten. dance, 211 69-10o; total enrolment 264. The average attendance for the High School courses, first year, 21 3-l0; sec- ond and third, 26 6S-100.
 There had been received for tuition fees, from pupils outside the town, in 1el1-12, $3l9 90; t9l2-1s, $46S.56. The town had received from the state, in average attendance grants, iu 19lO-11, $l ,85l.57; for 1911-l2, $1,748.80 The apportionment for the present year is not yet made out. These sums, aggre- gating sS,59s.S7, are donation from the state, which will be forfeited if the school fails to come up to the standard approved by the state board.
 If the town fails to furnish high school instruction it will be compelled to pay for tuition in the high schools of other towns. for such pupils as desire a high school education.
 Mrs. J. l.. Parsons asked if it would not he practicable to double up the pupils ni some of the grades. as she had known of some of the best schools having from 40 to 60 pupils in one room. MT. Vogel questioned the advisability of such a course as the best results could not be obtained; it would be impossible for a teacher to do justice to the pupils or to herself.
 Mir. Roberts explained the state grant for average attendance, which we will lose if we fail to meet the requirements. These state grants. he said. are devoted to the payment of the teachers, and actually pay more than GO per cent. of salaries of our teachers. When our schools fail to meet the approval of the state board these grants will be with drawn. The question is, will we pro. vide suitable school houses, or forfeit this 60 per cent of our teachers salaries?
 Mir. D. l.. Peirce said he didn't expect to go to school any more, himself, but he feels an intense interest in the schools. It Is good economy for any town to keep up its schools to high standard. We have large and mixed population. and it is our duty to Americanize our foreign children, many of whom are exception ally bright, and can compete well with our native children. This is where the duty of the schools comes in. He would favor all the needed improvement in the East Canaan school. and doing all in our power to retain the state grants We should look to the future. In a few years the children who are now going to school will have the running of our town. The speaker said he considered it narrow policy to obstruct the ad- vancement of our schools on the ground of the tax. He didn't object to being taxed for good schools. We are of course heavily taxed, and largely for good roads, some of which had un- doubteily been extravagantly built. But while we want good roads, as be. tween good roads and good schools he would choose the schools. He had heard it said that the school house in East Ca- naan was not safe; if that IS SO, the longer the building is used, the longer the town is running a serious risk. Let us not be scared by proposition to spend few thousand dollars to put all our schools in good condition and keep up their present high standard.
 MT. Roberts said that if the High School was not kept acceptable to the state board, the grants would be with drawn and the result would be to blot out our high school. The voters should come to the town meeting and vote for the improvements.
 It was brought out that the tuition fees received from out-of-town pupils -$7SS,46 in two years would more than pay the interest on SIG, 900 expended in giving up-to-date sch ools to both North Canaan and Eaat Gan aan. MT. Peirce moved that committee of five be appointed to work out a defi- mite proposition to be submitted to the voters. Mir. Quinn seconded, and the motion was unanimously carried, and it