Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1917-05-18
The School Bond Election.

/ The School Bond Election.
Cresco people are generous will
their public schools, but in asking ,
bond issue of $40, 1000 to erect and equil
two new school buildings, many are in
clined to think that too much is being
asked of the taxpayers After build
ing the high school building in 1905 al
cost of $25, 900 and the grade building
in 1918 at a cost of $15, 900, it is hard
to understand why two new buildings
are now needed and one of them at q
cost of $58. 900, q sum larger by $l8, 900
than the cost Of the two present. 1build-
ings combined, ''@
The plans of the larger building are
not available at this writing, but from
q member of the board we learn that
the proposed building is to be two stories
in height with basement and a central
heating plant in the rear. The front
part of the first floor is to be occupied
by two primary rooms, halls and stair
ways. over this is q large room to be
used by the pupils Of the normal train
ing class when hearing the recitstions
of grade classes temporarily under
their supervision, also a science recita-
tion room and laboratory. Domestic
science and manual training rooms are
also provided. The member of the
Board conveyed the information that
the normal training room was not ne
cessity but provided for expansion lat
er: The domestic science and manual
training rooms are now located in the
other buildings At the rear of the
rooms above mentioned and two stories
in height is the gymnasium, occupying
nearly one half of the building exclus-
i've of basement. ~@
= An increasing high school enrolment
is frequently cited as the cause for the
erection of this big building; but it
will be noted that with the exception
of the science and normal training
rooms, no part of the building, unless
we include the gymnasium, provides
room for the use of the high school,
which we are told has outgrown the
seating capacity of their room in the
hight school building. The need for
more seating capacity arises in the pri-
mary rooms and in the 9Th grade and
high school. We are told that there is
now ample room for the grades. with
the exception Of possibly the 7th and
8th. "a 81,
ssitgood judgnnentstai inysst aS68.s
600 in ! building which provides no
more primary rooms than we had in
the burned primary building, and but
very little more accommodation for the
high school, simply to provide train
ing room for foot ball and base ball
players We know that list of towns
has been prepared showing large num-
ber of cities in Iowa in which the schools
have gymnasiums, but this list signifies
nothing of value for the children. What
should be shown is what proportion of
the school children avail themselves of
and profit from the gymnasium. Be-
cause other towns rush into debt to
build gymnasiums is no argument why
We should add $5s, 900 to our present
to provide for building
about twice the size of other contem-
plated needs simply to provide q gym
nasium which would be deserted after
the new wore off," only At the foot
ball and base ball training seasons. If
We are in any error concerning our de-
of the proposed h9llding it il
due We, are sure to unintentional misin.
formation from q member Of the school
board.
We believe that adequate primary
:ooms are . necessity, and also some
additional room for high school pupils,
,ut IN increase of IN average Of about
Is per year during the years 1912-l9l6
hoes not argue successfully the need of
, exc mn hs,;lr3inn IN rrnvidA fnr thu