The Pleasantville press., 1913-11-26

should be viewed in liberal, broad
minded manner and from a thorough
ly practical standpoint. These i'm
provements are of such a character
that they must be planned for the fu-
ture rather than for the present if
the administration of the Borough is
to be placed on a practical business
basis. 1t is not the present Borough
of Pleasantville alone that must be
provided for but the demands of the
future City of Pleasantville that
must be planned for.
In view of these facts it is well to
give careful consideration to the
plans advanced by the Board of Ed
ucation for the erection and equip
ment of new High School Building.
For years the people have demanded
this very thing and they should by
all means have it. 1t is unjust to the
children, unjust to the parents and
unjust to the owners of real estate
for the town to be further deprived
OF this necessary institution. The
crowded conditions of the schools to-
day make some movement to increase
their capacity absolutely necessary.
The danger in such a movement lies
in the fact, that in trying to be eco
nomical we may become penurious
and waste the money spent trying to
save a few thousand dollars. The
Borough has had enough of such a
policy and the mistake should not be
repeated.
Since the first request for an ap-
preparation there have developed con-
drtionS that offer to PleaSantville op-
portunities for securing educational
advantages which few places of its
size possess. The State Department
is at present deeply interested in our
town and it is with much satisfaction
that we are able to state positively
that the local Board is in strict accord
with the State Department and work
ing In harmony for the advancement
OF our educational system. The writ
er has in his files a personal com
munication from a State official which
IN a measure, outlines plans that if
put into operation will make Pleas
antville the educational center of At
lantic County if not of South JERSEY.
There are five points to be remem-
bered.
l. There is not room enough in the
present buildings to properly care for
the present school population.
2. There has been established a
two years high school course meeting
with the approval of the Commission
er of High Schools. This should be
advanced to three years course
and ultimately full four year ap-
proved High School established.
3. A thoroughly modern kindergar-
ten should be provided for.
a. A vocational school should be es-
tablished in the near future. This
perhaps, is the most important of all
matters under consideration. In the
past all consideration has been given
to the High School which provides ad-
vanced education for a small per-
centage of our children. In the vo-
cational school the aim is to provide
a practical education for those boys
and girls who never reach High
School and who constitute the great
mass of our pupils.
5. Pleasantville should be made the
educational center of this section for
1t will then become the industrial and
commercial center.
Without the additional school build
ing not one of the above conditions
can be corrected or purposes accom-
plished and our educational progress
must come to a standstill.
In asking the citizens forSan appro-
priation of $4,000 we believe that
everything has been taken into con-
sideration and we fell that the am
cunt is not an excessive one in view
of all that is needed at the present
time, and we believe that it will be
used to the greatest possible advant-
age.
The citizens are also called upon at
this time to select site upon which
to erect the proposed building. This
is the first important step in the act
ual work. Too much thought cannot
be given this phase of the matter for
we are locating not for today alone
but for the future. In the matter of
location the following must be given
Concluded on Fifth Paoel