The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-12-14

pose of voting bonds for extending the
school facilities Of the district. the
board OF education issues the follow
ing statement:
In response to some questions rela-
tive to the bond issue of $4,000 asked
for by the board of education we wish
to answer as follows:
This amount was settled on after
much deliberation and careful study
of the conditions existing in the
schools of the city at this time. This
subject is of such consequence to the
children and the patrons of our
schools that we cannot afford to be
governed by any hasty conclusions or
comparisons not commensurate with
present conditions. The board stands
ready to make frank and full expla-
nations OF plans contemplated in the
Improvement of the city schools. 1t
is right that the people should know
We are only servants of the people
and we can only act in prescribed
fund limits.
In the first place, we are confronted
with the problem of making room for
the beginners, of which there are now
more than two hundred that have
been in schools only in halliday ses-
sions all this school year, and fifty to
seventy-five more will be ready to
enter the second term which opens
January II. With one exception all
the rooms in the ward schools are
now occupied. The average attend
ance to these rooms is forty-five
pupils. Some rooms have more than
fifty. All the rooms at the high school
building are now occupied. There is
no way of transferring any grades to
provide for these first year children.
In the second place, that we may
retain our high school as a standard
high school in the North Central Asso-
citation of Secondary Schools and Col
leges and as an affiliated school of
our State University we must provide
more laboratory rooms and a stand
ard equipment in the science depart
ments, as well as a standard high
school library. There is now only one
room set apart for laboratory pur-
poses in the high school. We should
have a separate room for each Of the
departments of physics, chemistry, BIZ
ology and agriculture. The approxi-
mate value of the scientific equipment
is $1,000 The demands of other de-
partments have called for the funds
which might have been applied here.
When we have met the above stated
requirements there will be no rooms
for the seventh and eighth grades in
the high school. Five rooms are now
given up to these grades.
An additional ward school would not
meet the demands for relief in our
three ward schools and in the high
school. Hence it is the Judgment OF
the board of education that an inter
mediate school building to serve the
children between the upper grades in
the ward schools and those Of the
ninth grade in high school is the best
solution. This building would be
known as the Junior High School,
1t should be centrally located and oi
easy access from all parts Of the city
| 1t should be an up-to-date modern
building and should furnish room fol-
, 400 or more children. 1t should con
tain 16 to 20 class rooms with ar
euuipment for manual training and fol
domestic science. a gymnasium anc
an assembly hall. To this building
the seventh and eighth grades would
be sent. and possibly a sixth A class
when necessary, and the ninth grade
from the high school. This building
would serve as a medium of relief tt
the ward schools and to the higf
school. removing any cause for th'
congested conditions all along the line
in all the schools.
We have figured the approximate
cost as follows;
Building ---..------------- 'OV'
I cround for same ------ 1O.col
Heating system. etc. --------- $500