New Britain herald., 1924-09-04
READY FOR SCHOOL YEAR

New Britain's public schools will open Monday, and due to some head way having been made upon the EoO,ooo expansion plans inaugural ed by the city within recent memory continued improvement will be noted in the housing of pupils.
 Construction work has been start ed on the annex to the Smalley school on Talcott street. and the contract has been awarded for the construc- tion of the addition to the Osgood school, on Osgood Hill. Of course, work on the construction of needed school buildings does not alleviate conditions until the buildings are complete. Additional relief has been assured through the use of rooms in the old state normal school on HiIl- side Place. In this building, now oiSo usSu loL dulLllIIstld dLlOu QldftefS of the school department, ten classes will be housed, including three classes of pupils heretofore given their schooling in the open air in wooden building on Bassett street, which is to be abandoned for school purposes. There also will be several rooms for atypical, or backward, pupils.
 Chief help in solving the school housing problem, of course. is the new Washington school on High street which vas used during the last school term, and which at once made it's presence felt by relieving condi- tions as they existed prior to that time. With this building in service a number of portable buildings were no longer needed in the school serv- ice and quite a flock of half time pupils were placed on full time. It is believed that there will be compara- lively few time pupils left in the city at an early date.
 P. F. King, president of the school board, is expected to be an efficient guiding hand of school administra- ton In the coming months. . He will endeavor to uphold the ideals and spirit of Judge Gaffney, who served in that capacity during the hardest days of the city's school problem and whose foresight and energy helped to create the happier conditions be- ing enjoyed today and laid the foun- dations for even the better circum- stances that may be expected in the future.
 Mir. King has had wide experience in civic affairs. having been chair man of the committee on school ac- commodations, the chairman of the police board, and former finance commissioner. He should know the needs of the city thoroughly and can be expected to exercise that careful ness and administrative experience which the position of school board president demands.
 It has been claimed by some that such 6 large gymnasium and audi torium at the Washington school were unnecessary. This view might hold water were a school building constructed for present needs only but considering that such structures have a life of at least 50 years, con ditions and needs of the future must be taken into consideration as well Gyrnnastic training is required by the state law and is of value to the pupils of every school, and a large auditorium benefits not only pupils who assemble in it, but also theiI elders when neighborhood gathering are permitted in them. It is safe tc say that the auditorium, despite its comparatively large seating capacity will be filled quite frequently during the lifetime of the school building.
 It is even more important that the city possess large central audi torium: but that is question tha' will be taken up at some future time.
 CITY Is EXoNERATED