The Dolores star., 1917-05-11
Need Of High School.

Need Of High School.
Does Dolores need school building?
Not one who has ever considered the
matter will answer mo" The num-
Der Of children going to the present
Central building are already too many
for the capacity of that building, and
one room has had to be used on the
outside this year. So that question
settles itself without discussion,
Then the question of what to do with
our High School comes up. The past
year the ''Six and six" plan has been
used, by it the first six graded school
and each grade or class has its own
room and teacher. The seventh ano
to the High school thus doing away
with two grade teacher, and they re-
cite to the High school teachers, NOV
ing from class room to class room as
do the real High school grades, the
ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelveth.
This is plan that is being used in the
most up to date schools OF the United
States today. In our school it proved
very successful, for by combining some
classes, the classes were SO managed
that it was possible to have forty
minutes periods recitation periods.
such a. they have in larger schools in
stead of the usual ''hfteen minnie
periods" 1t takes no explanation to
show what is gained in this way.
Two years ago room was added
over the porch of the school building
for the High school. This room Is
about l6 by 20 by 10, with of course
the floors exposed TO the weather. Our
High school enrolment the past year
was thirty-two. So it was deemed
Assembly room. 1t was also thought
to be impossible to have 80 many
classes crossing the street, SO one
teacher with her classes was put into
the City Hall.
The past year there has been no
eleventh or twelveth grade as there
was not teaching force enough to
handle them. This would require at
least one more teacher with more recita-
tion room, which most certainly there
is not, and seemingly no place to be
rented even ii it were desirable to rent.
There are certain High school studies
which cannot be taught in our school
as we have no apparatus for such
classes and no rooms IN which to place
such apparatus if we had it. We GER
tainly need High School.
The Teaching Force and Board OF
Directors have done the best that could
be under the circumstances, but the
time has come when we either stand
still in school matters (which really
means going back as we must neces-
sarialiy send our children out tor
the last three years OF High school
course) or we may go ahead.
There is only one way in which our
community may advance in this line,
o,1A hat 10 tn hon al ~, l.;
necessary classes may be held, and
room in which apparatus may be placed
and used, and the necessary apparatus
to be used. !
This can be done only thro another
building. We had heped by the con-
solidation plan to build a building that
would hold all the school, and we were
only asking for $37, 10000 bonds. Our
valuation, however, has been so re-
ouced that all the bonds that we can
get is $l9,aOU.OO. At the present price
Of material this will not build the
necessary sized building.
Rather than not at all and so cut our
selves out of anything, the following
plan is being discussed: To have plans
drawn for such building as will suit
our entire needs and purposes in the
coming few years, but to have the plans
so divided tnat our present bonds will
cover what is put up now. and that
wnen we are able to add to such build
ing it will be both sanitary and slightly.
This can be done by having one blank
wall that can be added to at such time
as our finances will permit.
1t has been argued that we are not
ready, that it will be four or five years
before there will be sufficient number
of children to use such a building. Such
is not really fact however, as the
classes from the surrounding schools
will prove. Then again age improves
everything" which applies to nothing
more than a good school. A High
school started now and properly kept
up, will in five years be more worth a
child's time. Should we not have
place here at home where we can send
our young people? Some may be able
to send their children out to school,
but what child is not safer and better
at home with the proper guardians. ~"