Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1921-03-11
SCHOOL BUILDING AND THE
COMMUNITY

Tie mission of the American Public
School is to become the center of COM
munity activity. It's purpose is to
reach out and touch every home and
evary life in that community. Every
m;-n. woman and child should re
ceive some good from the part the
school plays in the life of the COM
munity. 1t is impossible for a COM
munity to agree upon one religious
belief or one political party. but we
should all come together for the COM
mon good Of our schools, regardless of
religion, politics or business. The
school is the biggest business in any
community It's working force is
ordinarily larger than any other one
business concern. and its operation Or
failure to operate effects more people
than the closing of any other business
! in the community For this reason the
school should become a community
problem or project and not the problem
of few or the problem of any single
! organization. The school buildings
should be open to the use and enjoy
nent of every citizen in the district.
To function properly the school build
ing should be in constant use. Why
should the most costly and most
beautiful building in a community
stand idle for even an hour during the
day? In planning the addition to the
present high school building it was
/ the idea of the school board to erect
I a building that would be open and ac-
cessible to every man. woman and
child in the village. They are not
planning for a building to be used ex-
clusively by high school students. or
by grade students, or by any other
one class Of people, but a building
shat will serve the needs of the com
munity from the kindergarten to the
grave. There is not high school in
the south central part of Idaho the
size of Shoshone that does not have a
gymnasium and an auditorium. They
are not luxury but a necessity if
our educational plan is to function
properly and produce the proper kind
of men and women.
Should this building be built it is
the plan to the school authorities to
keep the building and auditorium open
every day and night. The gym will
be available to all the people of the
town at regular periods during the
week, business men one evening, the
ladies' another, school children of the
grades another, high school students
another and so on, keeping it in use
at all times. The auditorium, one of
the greatest needs of Shoshone, will
be available to the general public at
all times, when the desired date does
not interfere with the school work At
the present time there is no auditorium
in the village that can be used for
general community purposes. Not
only will these two needs be provided
for but this new building will provide
for extra class room space. one of the
greatest needs that the schools face
it the present time. We have between
35 and so more students taking the
high school work this year than we
had last, but we are trying to take
care of them in the same amount OF
space.
The building of this additional space
for. the schools should in no way con-
Aict with the proposed building of the
American Legion. In fact it must not
building will be for one purpose and ,
the school building for another. The
Memorial building will house the Pub
lie Library, the Study Club, the Red
Cross. Legion rooms and possible a ,
cymna sium, but NOT a gymnasium for
the use of the public schools. The
American Legion is under no obli-
torium in the Memorial building ac-
cording to the present plans, and II
there should be. it would not be open
to the use of the schools for recita-
ton purposes and for entertainments
that concern the schools alone. No.
These two are not uncomfortable, each
has its distinct purpose in the Com
There is no reason for the in
terests Of the two to conflict. The
school Board and the Schools are
boosting the Memorial building The
Legion building will not be begun for
another year the classroom space of
the proposed new school building is
needed now Please keep in mind the
fact that the gymnasium that will be
in the addition will be open to
the public. The. school students from
The kindergarten thru the high school
will have their regular courses in
physical training at regular class per-
iods and in that way the entire school
oopulation will be cared for. After
this is done the other people of the
own will be provided for.-Contributed
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