The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-08-10

the schools is growing worse at an
alarming rate, it is said. The school
population Of the city is increasing at
the rate of almost 1900 students a
year. and there are no new buildings
to care for them.
Using Poor Equipment
Blocked in their efforts to erect new
buildings the school board has been
forced to use old tumble-down shacks,
portables and other structures for
school purposes. Almost 5000 pupils
are housed in buildings of this char
acter at present. and the number will
increase steadily and rapidly unless
5 permanent buildings are erected.
According to R. o. Johnson, bust
!. ness director of the board, ninety
{ three portable and temporary build
5 ings, three churches, four rooms on
: third floors of school building and ten
basement rooms are now in use. Ten
{ more portable have been ordered and
: will be placed in commission this fall.
This will make a total of 120 rooms,
averaging forty pupils to the room. in
use in addition to the regular school
. building rooms, johnson said.
demonstrators Given Chance
Members of organizations interested
In getting the children of Indianapolis
out of portables, temporary shacks
s ard makeshift rooms into mod
ern, well equipped school buildings,
declared that the action of the four
teen in holding off their remonstrance
until the very last minute allowed
by law was proof that the remon-
STRANGE was intended to hold up the
building program as long as possible
or to defeat it.
The school board, they said, had
: acted in the utmost fairness. In an
Z effort to avoid friction and settle all
disputed matters in advance, the
board sent invitations to all organiza-
tons interested in the school building
program and taxation problems and
to the general public to come before
: the board and talk things over. Dates
were set for hearings on the eight
buildings under consideration. Not
one of the fourteen demonstrators. it
. was pointed out by advocates Of de-
cent buildings for school children, ap-
peared before the board on those
4 dates. They waited until the final
hour allowed by law and then filed
their remonstrance.
Tax Board Powerful
Under the law the tax board. com
posed of three members, only one of
whom is a resident of Indianapolis,
will have the final say as to whether
indianapolis is to have more school
buildings or is to muddle through with
a constantly increasing number Of
portables and other makeshifts.
E Members OF the school board were
frankly disappointed at the remon
Z STRANGE. They had hoped that the
4 building program could be inaugurated
( Immediately.
Not only are these eight buildings
delayed by this action" Adolph EN-
hardt, chairman Of the committee on
buildings and grounds, said, but the
entire future program of the board
With these buildings out of the way
we intended to turn our attention to
other grade schools and to the high
school situation A new Shortridge al
pennsylvania and Thirty-Fourtk SITS.
"a high school for the west side and
Thigh school for colored pupils were tc
be taken up next. Now they must
wait because a few persons in the
Baldwin block have the legal privilege
Sof blocking the plans by an appeal tc
"a State board
Mother Voices Protest
1T just looks as If a few persons
who have few children can prevent
erection of sadly needed buildings,
Mrs. Edward Springer, 3245 Broad
way, president of the rent-TeacheI
Association of School No. rs, said
I'VE have found that those who op
pose school construction either have
no children Of school age or send their
children to private schools. Our sit
uation is very bad. Two portables are
in use and many of our children must
go to other schools at a great distance
from home We had hoped to have
this condition rectified by a new build
ing"
This remonstrance Is a badly mis-
taken move" Mrs. William Headrick
615 E Fffty-Third ST.. president Of
7. the Parent-Teacher Association OF
! School No. 10 said. Il just wonder
If the demonstrators have no children
or if they live in districts that dc
not need additional schools. At oul
school we have a portable and use
rooms at the Norwood Christian
and Meridian Heights Presbyterian
Churches"