Palisadian., 1922-12-23
Education Board
To Discuss Needs

At an adjourned meeting of the
Board of Education held last eve
ming it was decided to take advan-
tage of the opportunity which has
been presented on the part of several
of the citizens in suggesting that
some mass meetings of citizens be
conducted for the purpose of discus
sing school needs. The first of these
meetings will be held on the evening
of January 17th in the high school
auditorium and it is hoped that all
citizens interested in school affairs
will attend this meeting prepared to
make and consider suggestions. 1t
is believed that the citizens want to
do what is best for the community
and that they will take Keen in
terest in the meetings which are to
follow.
The following letter, dated De-
cember 18, 1922, and signed by Mr..
B. C. Wooster, County Superintend-
ent of Schools, was received and read
at the meeting last evening. The
board unanimously voted that this
letter should be of interest to every
one in the borough.
"The following is copy of State
Building Inspectors report on Old
County School Building, Cliffside
Park:
4 have this day made an inspec-
ton of the above named building for
the purpose of. advising as to the
feasibility of reopening it for school
purposes.
This building was closed by the
County Superintendent at the end of
the last school year. Upon exam
ination of the building, l find it is a
one story brick structure with high
basement underneath. The building
contains four rooms which have been
used for classroom purposes. Two OF
these rooms in the rear of the build
ing were approximately Of standard
dimensions. The two small rooms in
the front of the building are entirely
too small for classroom purposes.
All of the rooms are inadequately
lighted and the means Of exit are
entirely Inadequate. In case a fire
should occur in the basement, it
would Immediately close off the one
exit and the pupils would be obliged
to leap from the windows in order
to make an escape.
The building is heated with low
pressure steam heating outfit and the
boiler is located in the basement.
The smoke pipe from this boiler is
entirely too close to the wooden floor
beams above. Gravity ventilation
was originally provided, but this has
been entirely cut off and there is no
means of ventilating the room except
from the open windows.
4 do not believe that permission
should be given to reopen this build
ing for school purposes unless it is
brought up to present day standards.
This would involve considerable ex-
pense and I do not believe the dis
trict is justified in spending the
amount of money which would be
necessary to make these improve
ments. The heating plant should be
enclosed entirely within fireproof
construction and the rooms should be
provided with approved ventilation.
Additional windows should be in
stalled in order to make the glass
area equal 20 per cent of the floor
surface on the left-hand side of the
pupils. Direct exits should also be
provided from each of the two class
rooms.
4 believe the district should pro-
vide suitable accommodations by the
erection of new building located
near the center of the school popula-
ton. The district is now very much
in need of additional class rooms as
there are number of pupils that
are now attending school in part time