The Wrangell sentinel., 1926-03-25
Commissioner of
 Education Tells of
 Wrangell Schools

Lester D. Henderson, Commis- sioner of Education, for Alaska, spent the latter part of last week in Wrangell inspecting the local public schools.
 Before leaving Wrangell the Sen tinel reporter inquired of the Com missioner as to the condition in which he found the local schools. MT. Henderson said:
 "The Wrangell school faculty is an excellent one. Superintendent Hagie is a representative of that well-trained, progressive type of school executive which Alaska well comes and desires to retain The instructional equipment of the schools is being added to and im- proved upon from year to year. The enrolment of both high and elementary schools is keeping pace with that of any otherAlaska town in growth from year to year. The quality of the student body of the schools is highly satisfactory when measured by the achievement of Wrangell high school graduate who enter the colleges and uniyer- sities of the States.
 But there is one thing wrong with the Wrangell schools. The school buildings are antiquated, un- hygienic, insanitary and too small to adequately house the school en- rollment. There is not a single room in the whole plant which meets the requirements of modern school room. The natural lighting in all but one or two rooms is abominable, and the artificial light ing scheme is very little better. If the majority of the Wrangell school children do not already have defect i've eyesight this result will be achieved by the use of the present school buildings for another year or two.
 Proper ventilation of high school recitation rooms is impossible. If high school students are not as alert as instructors would prefer to have them, the fact should be recognized that dead and vitiated air is not conducive to either men tai or physical alertness. The youth of any Alaska town deserve something better than a dismal garret during the four years of their high school work Ventila- tion of elementary school rooms is somewhat easier although far from satisfactory There is possibly one room which contains the amount of air space per pupil required by modern school building standards.
 Some readers may think that the situation has been exaggerated. do not feel that such is the case. AS matter of fact I feel that it is impossible to condemn the present Wrangell school plant too strongly. If I have erred at all it has been along the line of stating the case too mildly.
 'The members of the Wrangell school board are to be commended for the action which they have taken toward remedying the situa- tion. The city council and mayor likewise are worthy of commenda- tion in so far as they have support ed the new school building project. Under Alaska laws, the actual erec- tion of the building is in the hands of the city council. They can per haps be guided by the experience of other Alaska towns. Within the past ten years new school buildings have been erected at Cordova, Ju- neau, Ketchikan and Petersburg In every case this has ben acom- plished through the issuance of bonds. Sitka has voted a bond issue of S25,000 for the erection of a new school building during the coming summer. The last of the Juneau bond issue of s75.0OO, put out in 1917, was redeemed this year. The ;own is now considering the issu- ance of $50.00O in bonds for the erection of another school build ing.
 ''It perhaps would have been happy circumstance if each of these towns could have anticipated it's need for new school building ten or fifteen years in advance and created sinking fund into which several thousand dollars could have been covered each year thus ena- bling it to pay cash for it's build ing Since fhic -uoc not do,a xha