Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-03-30
NEW SCHOOL
ACTION IS DUE
Mayor to Call Meeting of the
Board of School Estimate
in Short Time.
PREPARE DEBT DATA
Supplemental Debt State
ment Will be Submitted to
Aldermen Next Monday.

A supplemental debt will be sub
mitted to the Board of Aldermen
next Monday night. showing the I'm
ancial status of the city. following
which Mayor William c. Wilson has
announced that he will call a meet
ing Of the Board of School Estimate.
The debt statement will be drawn UP
apropos of the projected improve
ment of the high school and the erec-
ton of the new school on Hall ave-
nue., and upon the meeting of the
Board of School Estimate hangs the
fate of the proposed building.
After months of discussion and the
most careful consideration, the
Board of Education agreed that the
new school on Hall avenue and the
additional wing on the high school
are absolute necessities. While the
exact figures were not known to this
body, it was known approximately
how the city stood as far as finances
were concerned, but advice from au-
thorities, it was thought that the
new building projects were entirely
indispensable The problem was
taken up at the meeting of the Board
of Education the first Thursday of
this month. but was considered of
such great Importance that a special
meeting was called for the follow
ing week, where the school building
matter was considered exclusively
and decision reached.
The Board of Education, having
gone as far as it was able. left the
matter in the hands of the Board of
School Estimate. requesting that
work be started Immediately upon
another wing at the high school and
the new building on Hall avenue.
The matter, therefore is In the
hands of the Board of School Es-
innate to decide whether or not the
buildings are indispensable at this
time, and If they are, whether the
city's funds will allow the under
taking of the project. The school
authorities are awaiting the out
come of the meeting of the Board of
School Estimate so that it may
learn where the school system will
stand this fall.
The situation. as it was advanced
before the Board of Education
showed a great lack of school space
necessitating the use of many base
ment rooms and other parts of
buildings never intended for class
AOOhiS. AT the present time every
available room in the city is occu-
pied and grammar school children
are placed in the basement rooms
of the high school and other pupils
who should be in the grammar
school are scattered among several
of the schools in which they receiv-
ed their primary education. 1t was
shown that there will be a consider
able influx of staudents for high
school work in the fail. As matters
stand now there will be absolutely
no available room for them unless
the school is enlarged and even
then. according to the authorities,
relieving the condition in the high
school will not alter the congestion
in the grade institutions. On the
other hand. the erection of the Hall
avenue school would relieve the sit
uation insthe grades. but would not
take care of the high school and its
ever increasing problems.
The addition to the high school
as decided upon by the Board of
Education, will be, if sanctioned by
the other board a front wing that
wilh contain enough rooms to take
care of some of the grammar
grades and all of the high school
students for four or five years, at
the expiration of which time, if
necessary a rear addition of twelve
rooms can be erected.
The Hall avenue proposition is a
building to contain about thirty
three rooms. the upper story of
which is TO remain unfinished. inde-
finitely allowing nineteen rooms
available for use within year and
half 1t was told the Board of
Education that the high school inn
provement can be completed within
about eight months.
The state laws provide that five
per cent of the total assessed valu-
( ticn of the city can be used for
school purposes. II has been said
that this amount has not yet been
expended and that even if both pro-
jects materialiZe. the expenditure
will not be larger than the state al
lows. The condition OF the city
treasury and the amount of indebt-
edness, it has been told by author
tiles. has no bearing on the educa-
tional end of the city's work, and
that the appropriations for the new
work is up to the Board of School
Estimate only.