Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-02-24
SUPT. PORTS MAKES RECON-
l-,T% MENDATlON. .

n During @Lne past lew years MAIL
chester has r. made a phenominal
growth in population. This growth
iias been most noticeable IN the
school population OF the city and vi
cinity Several years ago the High
school OF this city became so, over
crowded that new building was
needed at the time that this pro-
lect was under way many patrons
OF the district thought that the new
building as contemplated was larger
tnan necessary. The present enroll
ment in the high school is such as
to take up nearly all OF the space.
II soon became evident that the
Central or grade building would soon
be crowded to its utmost capaclty.
.,,lper1ntendent II. Il. Ports has set
forth some interesting facts regard
ing the congested conditions OF the
Central building:
5,1.sAt the beginning of the present
chool year the enrolment in the
various grades in the Central build
ing was as follows: Kindergarten
3t. first grade 80, second grade 40;
third grade 54, fourth grade 6O,
fifth grade As, sixth grade 55, sew
enth grade 35, eighth grade "A. 1t IS
generally conceded by everyone that
no teacher to do any kind OF salts
factory work should have more than
forty pupils, and it is quite universal
w agreed that the maximum number
for each teach should not be more
than thirty-six. BY a careful refer
ence to the above enrolment it will
be seen that there existed congest-
=. IN QXcpnt-
ing the Kindergarten, first grade and
seventh grade, and a very bad CON
gestion in the third, fourth and sixth
grades. To partly relieve this con-
dition another teacher was employ
ed and ten pupils from the third
grade, ten from the sixth grade and
sixteen from the fourth grade were
placed in her charge. The mixed
grade was not an ideal condition but
relieved the situation remarkably. At
the beginning of the present semes-
ter sevral pupils were shifted SO that
none were left in the mixed grade
but those who were strong both
physically and mentally. The condi-
ton is still not ideal but 1t seems
that nothing better can be done at
present under existing conditions.
Some patrons are unable to- under
stand fully the reason for this mix
ed grade thus the above explanation.
"There is still need for additional
teaching force in the grades to re
lieve the congestion, for at the pres
ent time we have enrolled at the
Central building in addition to those
in the mixed grade, forty-one in the
third grade, fifty in the fifth grade,
forty-two in the sixth and forty eight
in. the eighth grade. The great
est difficulty, however, is not the
lack of teachers, but the lack OF
available rooms. Every room is in
ues even the two on the third floor
of the Central building. The con-
gestion will doubtless continue until
the people of Manchester feel justl-
fled in providing more rooms. My
recommendation would be the erec-
ton of a four or five room one story
primary building with sub-base-
ment to accommodate the manuel
training shops, one block west of the
present Central building on the site,
which is owned by the district This
will provide ample room, permit the
separation of the smaller children
from those who are larger, and pro-
vide a means for the organization
of grammar or junior. high school
which at the present time is much
needed.
"H. T. PORTS, Superintendent"