River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1923-08-02
What Shall River
Falls Do About Its
School Buildings?

The Survey points out that the pre-
sence of the Normal School should be
taken into consideration in any well
worked out plan for building in River
Falls. In larger cities only a small
proportions of the children are needed
for training purposes, but in a place
the size of River Falls, the number is
hardly more thar adequate if all OF
them are available for this purpose.
The Survey therefore recommends
that grade building be erected some
where near the Normal School, and
that the Normal School assume the
current expenses for this building. 1t
is further recommended that it be a
teri room building to cost not over
S48,OOO.00. The ownership of the site
and building to remain with the dis
trict. Contrary to what has been UNI
derstood by some, it was not in the
final recommendations that the build
ing be erected on land owned by the
state.
In regard to the high school it IS
recommended that the older parts OF
the present building be wrecked, re-
tanning the most recent addition, and
salvaging as much of the material as
possible. The estimate for the cost
of this work is $112,000.00. 1t is Iur-
Their recommended that the grade
school be erected first, because hous-
ing conditions in the grades at present
are worse than in the high school.
In regard to organization it is sug-
gested that the control of instruction
in the grades be entirely entrused to
the Normal School;the head of the
traiEing department to nominate tne
teachers, subject of course to approx
al of the board of education. This
would produce situation something
like that found in many consolidated
schools where the same board directs
a grade school and high school with
no further connection between them.
Whatever else may be said about TINS
plan, at least it would remove any
overlapping of authority or shifting
of responsibility, which are almost
certain to result in trouble.
1t is recommended that there be
printed a course of study following
closely the state course OF study.
1t is further recommended that the
practice facilities of the junior high
school are to be put at the disposal OF
the normal school, and they are to CO.
operate with the board in the choice
of teachers, but responsibility for the
work done in the junior high school
and all other matters in connection
with it are left to the principal of the
high school.
A number of other recommendations
are made to the normal school author
tiles, but they have little bearing on
the situation from the standpoint OF
the parents and taxpayers of River
Falls.
This is the last of these articles on
the Survey, and anyone wishing to
get all Of the details, may do so by Sc
curing copy of the survey itself. An
effort will be made to get copy for
the local library.
At the annual meeting committee
was appointed to give publicity to the
Survey and to formulate and recon-
mend a plan acceptable to all parties
concerned. This committee has met
and plans are row under considera-
ton. AS soon as they are completed
they will be published.
At present the board is trying to
determine just how much Of the old
building can be saved. A large num-
Der of architects are submitting plans
and figures.