Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-02-27
LETTER BY DYER ON
SCHOOL PROPOSITION
Interesting Remarks on Sub.
ject by Former Resident
Now Principal of the
Shell Lake High.

Below is published a letter from
Glen L. Dyer, supervising principal
of the Shell Lake, Wis, high school,
relative to the new high school now
under consideration for the Eagle
River district. Mr.. Dyer is the son
OF Mr.. and Mrs. w. I'll. Dyer of this
place, and has put in several years at
the teaching profession at various
parts of the state. In his present
position he is in charge of staff of
II teachers, with an enrolment
of 126 high school students. His re-
marks on high school construction
are we'll worth reading by all those
interested in the new project.
81 have noticed the agitation going
on thru the press for a new high
school building at Eagle River. Hav-
ing bad some experience in the school
business l find it hard to keep quiet
on the subject especially when it
affects my own home town. So am
writing you line Or two and offering
a few suggestions which hope you
will not find amiss. Perhaps you can
use one or two of the suggestions and
good may result therefrom.
'In the erection of school build
ing the first thing to be considered is
enough room. In growing COM
munity, such as Eagle River, build
ing large enough this year will prob
ably be too small next year. Our
building here had less than so seats
in the high school department. two
years ago. Last year there were about
80, and this year we have seven rows
Of eighteen seats and our floor space
is all used up. The only remedy is to
patch up the building and it has been
in use less than three years! Next
year there will be still more students
and it is a problem what to do with
them. Eagle River will grow still
faster as it becomes more settled.
Above all things, have room and
enough room. In my experience in
the teaching business L have never
seen a school building large enough.
1t costs more to patch up a building
than it does to build it large enough
in the first place.
1.-THE recitation rooms must be
large enough and plentiful enough.
1t is painful to see thirty students
packed into room fourteen feet
square, with pasteboard instead of
slate blackboard, and only enough
board space to accommodate half
class. 1t is still more painful for stu
dents and teachers to have classes in
the assembly room because there is
no other place TO have class.
''The gymnasium should occupy at
least half the basement. The toilets
and furnaces can occupy the other
part. Where L aught last year we
had the best gym in the county but
the entrance was Sc narrow we could
not get piano through it, The gym
nssium was used as a general assem-
bly, hall OH all public occasions and if
fire had ever broke out there It would
have been nothing less than death
trap. Our gym here has two posts in
the center which spoils the place for
any use. Any such room should have
not less than one outside exit and
any school building should be proyid-
ed with fire escapes and other ade-
quate fire equipment. l hope that
when the building is put up at Eagle
River you will have some one in
charge who knows school house
from barn.
The heating system should be one
that is sure to heat. Where / was
last year and where am this year
are fans for forcing the heat and fresh