The Belding banner-news., 1921-09-14
SCHOOL PROBLEM
ACUTE. ENROLMENT
RECORDS BROKEN
MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE T o
SMALLER CITIES is FELT
IN LOCAL SCHOOLS

With the opening of school ample
evidence is offered that many peo-
pie are finding out what most of us
have known for a long time, that
there is no better place to live than
our own beautiful city. The unusual
conditions brought on by the war
lured many of our residents away to
the larger industrial cities where
they hoped to get rich quickly on the
unusual WAGES be ng offered. They
found, however, that high expense
accompanied high wages, and when
business depression set in they were
glad to get back TO Belding where
Industrial conditions have remained
comparatively normal. With these
fcme-comers have come many 9TH
ers, attracted by the unusual demand
for silk workers and by the reputa-
tion of our city as a clean place to
live.
The effect of all this upon school
conditions has been marked. The to-
tai enrolment at the close of the
first month last year was 1852, while
the present enrolment is 81. The
increase is especially noticeable IN
tn Ellis kindergarten and in the
high school, although many rooms
in the grades have more than forty
pupils each.
The Ellis kindergarten now has 30
pupils. So many of these were be-
gnners that it was found impossible
to take care of them at one session.
For this reason some of them were
put Immediately into the ub-primary
division, and VII necessarily have to
lose the purely kindergarten work.
The same plan has been adopted in
the second ward school where IS pu-
pills are enrolled.
The opening of school found AZ
pupils in the six-one grade in the
Ellis school To relieve this crowded
condition a number of pupils were
promoted on condition. but immedi-
ately others came in to take their
places, and it was found necessary to
open another room in the City hall
where one division of the third grade
was already established. The use of
these rooms was made necessary by
changes made in the old central
building in an effort to make it ha-
table and by the decision not to
use the basement of the Second ward
building for school purposes. One
unfortunate condition which accom-
panies the use of the City hall is the
lack of a play ground. 1t is also to
be regretted that objection has been
made to the use of the library this
year since the council room is too
small and dark for school use.
The High school has been crowded
for some years. both in the assembly
room and in the class rooms. Last
year some relief was obtained by
taking another class room on the
first floor. However, the increased
enrolment this year has made the
crowded condition more acute than
ever Last year we enrolled 156 the
first month; this year we start with
179. This has necessitated the for
nation of mot1 cl5sses, loading
teachers almost beyond the Univer-
sity limit, yet some classes are too
large for the best work and for the
rooms they occupy. The reference
table has been crowded into a cor
ner, and more seats have been in
stalled until it seems that the limit
of capacity has been reached. With
twenty-three eighth graders headed
toward the high school next semester
the situation is critical.
The number of non-res dent pupils
in the entire system is practically
the same as last year, while the in
creased tuition rate in the high
school will very materially increase
the amount TO be realized from this
source.
The above conditions make it i'm
perative that the building program
be revived Immediately. 1t becomes
plain that the building of the con-
templated grade school in the second
ward would not afford sufficient re-
lief, since it could not better high
school facilities. Undoubtedly the
Board acted wisely in delaying the
erection of that building. To those
who have studied the situation it
seems perfectly clear that new
High school building should be built
at once and the present high school
building be used for the upper grades
The problem is just where to build it.
Should il be erected on the second
ward site, should it be built facing
Washington street and connecting
with the present high school build
ing, or should it be built as an addi-
tion to the high school building on
the south? One thing seems certain:
the present high school building on
account of structural difficulties cam
not be expanded into an adequate
building. Wherever the new build
ing goes it must be separate unit;
and it must include an auditorium, a
gymnas'um and a domestic science
department.
If any of our readers know just
what ought to be done, make il
known. Don't hide your light under
a bushel.