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<br />Although the vote creating our committee provided that the re-
<br />port should be made to the Town prior to January lst, 1900, it was
<br />deemed wise to delay until such a time as the Town should be pre-
<br />pared to take immediate action. We believe that that time has ar-
<br />rived, and that a]1 that is necessary is to make a brief statement of
<br />our conclusions, based on the .facts already known to the parents
<br />having children in either the Hancock or High schools, and also to
<br />all citizens who have interested themselves to ascertain the true con-
<br />dition of affairs.
<br />After a careful examination of the High School building, your
<br />committee are unanimous in its conclusion that the condition of the
<br />building could not be much worse, both with reference to its capac-
<br />ity and also to its sanitary and heating conditions. This will be no
<br />news to the 'Town, for the School Committee during the last four
<br />years have annually called these facts to your attention, and your
<br />special committee of two years ago, after carefully investigating the
<br />matter, declined to expend the amount appropriated by the 'Town
<br />to renovate the building, believing it would he little less than a waste
<br />of your money.
<br />Considered with reference to its capacity as compared with the
<br />present needs, this building is even more unsatisfactory. On the
<br />ground floor there are four rooms, comprising an assembly hall with
<br />a seating capacity of about 60, two recitation rooms in the rear with
<br />a seating capacity of 23 and 32, and a book room or closet with a
<br />seating capacity of four. This latter has been forced to do service
<br />also as a recitation room. On the second floor is a room illy lighted
<br />poorly heated and ventilated, used as a chemical laboratory and
<br />recitation room with a seating capacity of about 45. The present
<br />attendance at the High school is 91, an increase of about 85 %
<br />during the last three years. For several years prior to 1897, the
<br />attendance at the High school seemed to be at a standstill, while the
<br />other schools, particularly the Hancock school, showed a steady
<br />increase, indicating that too few pupils took advantage of the High
<br />school course. Happily, that is now changed, and we are confident,
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<br />• that the town will gladly provide for this altered condition, which
<br />promises to become permanent. From this statement it will be seen
<br />that no one of the rooms has a seating capacity for the present at-
<br />tendance, and some of the classes have to recite in two divisions, while
<br />the sanitary accommodations are almost intolerable. From these
<br />considerations, it would seem that immediate relief was reqnired for
<br />the health, comfort and accommodation of both pupils and instructors.
<br />Your committee early discovered that one of the matters directly
<br />relating to their duties, was the condition of affairs at the Hancock
<br />and Adams schools, for it is, of course, from these schools that the
<br />pupils go to the High school, and that the present conditions
<br />obtaining there bear directly upon the High school question. Your
<br />committee Finds the condition of affairs at the Hancock school to be
<br />as follows : eight recitation rooms on the first two floors, and on the
<br />third floor, two roosts never designed for recitation rooms, either with
<br />reference to light, heat or ventilation, which it has become necessary
<br />to use for recitation rooms for the last four or five years. Under
<br />present conditions these 10 rooms are forced to accommodate 456
<br />pupils, or an average of over 45 to each room, whereas the maxi-
<br />mum number approved by the State Board of Education is 40 pupils.
<br />The use of the two rooms on the third floor necessitates their being
<br />heated by stoves, as the regular heating plant is not sufficient for cold
<br />weather, but the lighting of these rooms is even more serious, for your
<br />committee learns that in one of these rooms for about two-thirds of
<br />the time during the months of December, January and February,
<br />and on stormy and dark days, artificial light is necessary, and is
<br />supplied by four gas burners, and in the other of these rooms, on
<br />about three days out of five during the months of November,
<br />December, January, and February, and also on dark and stormy days,
<br />artificial light is required and is supplied from six gas burners;
<br />further comment in this direction would seem to be unnecessary.
<br />This building was opened in 1891 with an attendance of 291
<br />pupils. Its presrnt attendance of 456 pupils shows an increase of
<br />over 56% in nine years, and it is needless to add that immediate
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