Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 September 1897 — A Memorial. [ARTICLE]

A Memorial.

To the Honorable, the Mayor and Council of the City of Rensselaer, Indiana: The Board of School Trustees w’ould beg leave to represent: Ist. That the School facilities of the City are now’ taxed to their utmost capacity, every room being filled with pupils, leaving no recitation room whatever, while tw’O or three such rooms are very necessary to properly carry on High School work. 2nd. That a High School building well adapted to our w’ants can be erected on ground now owned by the School City, at a cost of not to exceed, we think fifteen thousand ($15,000.00) dollars. 3rd. That the erection of such building w’ill leave us sixteen rooms for the grade schools or two rooms for each grade, which will supply our w’ants for a number of years and until our City has so developed as to show where Ward building may be needed, w’hich is not now known. 4th. That said building can be heated by steam from the City’s plant in connection with our present buildings, at a very great saving in cost, the additional cost being really only nominal. sth. The location will be such as not to interfere with the time of the Superintendent to any great extent, in superintending, leaving him time to teach certain classes, as he now does, thus saving the employing more teachers in High School work.

6th. The building so located will be under the immediate control of the Janitor thus saving quite an item of expense in Janitor’s services and getting better servicer- - - ~ 7th. That the saving of expence in the items of heating, in the teaching which can thus be done by the superintendent, thus saving the salary of an additional High School teacher, and in Janitor’s services, will by the time a ward building is needed, pay for the building, thus making the building virtually free. Bth. That by that time our City will be so developed that such ward building can be located without a mistake as to location, which mistake would be very likely to occur now. 9th. That while a ward building now erected would be nearer certain patrons, it would involve the necessity of nearly all the patrons separating their children and sending a part of them to one quarter of the City and the remainder to another, which is very objectionable where it can be avoided, as the smaller ones need the care of the older ones a very great part of the school year, on their way to and from school.

We would call your attention further, to the fact that the issueing of Ten Thousand Dollars (10000) bonds now for water-works will cause an indebtedness equal to the constitutional limit and we think block the erection of the new School Building for ten years or until the remainder of the Schoolhouse bonds now outstanding are redeemed. Our Board would respectfully ask that you make other arrangements for Water-works so as to

avoid the issue of such bonds and that you make an order permitting our School Board to contract for such building as herein indicated for High School purposes. We would further call your attention to the fact that our City has become known over the State and to a considerable extent over the adjoining State of Illinois as a first class School City, and our Schools and this reputation has done more than all else to build up our City and bring to us the class of people our City needs, and that to permit our schools to run down as they must absolutely do if the additional facilities cannot be provided will be ruinous, ami it is safe to say will cost our City ten fold at least the cost of such building. We beg that you will use every effort to save our City from such oss and to keep up the enviablel reputation we now’ enjoy as a City where Schools are a Pride and Source of prosperity. And we will ever pray. September 16th A. D. 1897.

M. F. CHILCOTE, E. L. CLARK.

The third member of Board is absent from City.