The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1936-10-01
Need More
Room InIibbY
h. 5. Building
Various Factors Enter Into
Problem Discussed Here
In Detail.
COST WOULD BE
ABOUT $4,000

The Libby schools are faced with a
housing problem. Seven hundred pu-
pills are now enrolled. The primary de-
partment is unusually large this year
with eighty in the first grade. Fortu-
nately the trustees made a survey Of
the beginners group and prepared for
the heavy enrolment by adding a third
first grade teacher, but in order to
make room for them, it was necessary
to push one fourth grade out of the
Central building and to quarter them
in the Women's Club building. The
Junior high has added 10 seats and the
high school seating hall has no vacant
desks The school can function under
the present conditions for some time to
come but any visitor will soon note
the crowded conditions in all parts Of
the school, especially in the classroomss
One division Of the Junior High was
40 pupils, one high school English
class enrolls 81. The normal capacity
Of the classroom to be used is 80 stu
dents with four classrooms smaller than
that. The art teacher contends that
she has to use shoe horn to get into
her room after the class is seated To
add to the congestion, the library is
operated in the study hall because no
other room is available. The Central
library room has been converted into a
classroom with less than the standard
of air and light space. The nurse should
have an office and rest room for in
disposed children. The school could
expand into six or seven additional
large classrooms tomorrow and then be
no more than comfortable.
Shall Another Wing Be Built?
The enrolment may fall off in an
other year but every indication points
to an increased rather than decreased
numbers. The trustees have considered
the matter from all angles and have
concluded that the solution is to build
another wing on the present main
building. Some patrons have suggested
a four or six room grade building in
other sections of the town or grade
unit in the newly acquired playfield
If all the primary pupils or all the
third graders for example lived in one
section of the town that would be a
wise plan but that is not the case and
unless a staff of teachers could be
placed in ward building to teach all
eight grades, it would not relieve the
in the upper grades, the
high school would not be affected at
all
Consultation with P. w. A. officials
makes it appear probable that fed
eral grant of ASH can be obtained.
Immediately the question arises of what
type of building to erect. To add a
wing of classrooms would relieve i'm
mediate pressing demands but it would
overlook another vital need of the mod
arn school system, the education which
comes from physical training and pop
ular assembly. We now have a gym
that was an excellent one when it was
built in 1917 and an auditorium that
Is a model for its size. The present
gym had a playing floor of 80 by 66
feet; the standard gym is not less than
46 by 70. The Junior High auditorium
can hardly be improved in beauty or
accoustical effects but its seating ca
pacity is limited to ESQ For this rea-
son many patrons have formed the
Continued on page s.