Show School Problem in Mob Monh ais is u a I Complex Issue Because of or a direct and In Indirect Indirect In In- I direct bombardment of ot ques que question lIo tion bons eon concerning ming conditions and of or Grand County school this year District Superintendent Su Su- W. W II n. recently prepared red a thorough report on the subject which he presented recently to the Moab Rotary dub Mr Mc said the first lint questions asked concerned progress rose reM on the new building and clae classroom room space spacer Obtaining adequate adequate adequate ade ade- quate class clus room space he said Involved quite a shuffle In the Helen M. M Knight building building build build- in ing the back of ot the stage and the teachers teachers' room were utilized for class elMs rooms and the kindergarten kindergarten kindergarten kinder kinder- garten room was divided In th this way they managed to handle the COS pupils though several of the grades are arc still sUII overloaded The third grades have 37 38 and 39 students each the sixth grades have 40 students second grades average 35 to 37 each To handle this load there are arc 18 teachers 1 librarian and 1 principal Double sessions in the overload areas are just around the corner comer In fact if teachers were available avail able double sessions would be started at once he said When the high school moves there will willbe willbe be two rooms available In the theold theold theold old building on the Junior high site Two sixth grades may be moved there at that time to occupy occupy occupy oc oc- cupy the free space spacer At the Southeast school there arc are pupils 21 classroom teachers 1 music teacher 1 librarian and 1 principal At t present three third grades ore Ire being taught In the new Church When the Southeast Elementary addition is completed ed there will be 21 classrooms classrooms' and a library available plus the I purpose multi room that will be divided to to make it possible to have school lunches In one end and music classes in the other Again some of the classes are dangerously large especially in inthe inthe inthe the primary grades where a great deal of individual attention attention atten atten- tion is necessary Two vo hundred thirty five kindergarten kindergarten kindergarten kin kin- children are being taught in the old Chuch by four teachers Each teacher has two taro groups of children one inthe in inthe inthe the morning and one in the after after- noon The old church basement basemen t thas has been cleaned and paint painted d to tomake tomake make moke it as ns attractive as most of the schools New lights are to tobe tobe I Ibe be installed which will bring the rooms up to a very acceptable acceptable acceptable accept accept- able standard Junior high school now is operating with 17 teachers and 1 principal for about stu stu- dents By adding new teachers the pinch that was experienced in the past has not been felt this year No classes arc are large enough to be undesirable The senior high has 28 teachers teach teach- ers and 1 principal This section started out much better than last year ear Good planning by the counselors and principal placed students ts in more acceptable schedules than in previous years The Helen M. M Knight building was used during the summer for about pre in a readiness program for 1st grade grader Considerable growth was observed observed observed ob ob- ob- ob served in most of the children during the week 8 program Mr said it was with pride that they pointed out that in spite o of crowded conditions this year two areas in Grand County's educational program have either been started or re- re Instated They are the public kindergarten an 1 special tion It Is 15 interesting to note that last year there were 1812 students students students stu stu- dents at the end of the first school week this year there are arc over 2300 Discounting ling kindergarten kindergarten kindergarten kinder kinder- garten that is a growth of over the first week of last year The 62 1961 term tenn closed with 2074 pupils pupils- Disregarding the addition of kindergarten children children chil cht- dren there are still more pupils in the district than when school Chool closed last May Then cornea comes the 64 61 question question- when will the new nety buildings be completed It is very possible clawes will witt e move into the Southeast Southeast South South- east eat addition this w week ek k al although although although al- al though the building will wll not be completed The finishing date Is set at October 31 There fa is little tittle doubt that the contract will witt be comp completed ed ahead of ot schedule Completion date for the new high school has now been moved up to November 1 L In a few days the tile the men will wilt begin work York which will make some rooms available for furniture To the question Are Arc we getting our moneys money's worth rth from our schools Chool Mr had th this to say Last year it cost to o 0 operate p per e r a ate t e the schools in the county this year the budget is set at In my opinion nothing P p. p I v vj vs oft off as liS much as tax tn money spent spen t ton on schools In this district a real effort is being made to develop continuity In every program program- mathematics English history etc Text books are being standardized stand- stand so schools having shortages shortages shortages short short- ages may may obtain copies of tex tex- books from schools with sur ur- ur pluses I Some subjects such as Spanish Span ish and Algebra are being taught in lower grades than in previous years By doing this wore pore advanced advanced ad ad- courses can cnn be made available later to students In high school Another change adopted by the Board of Education ds js the requirement that high school school students carry four solids each year Heretofore seniors often orten finished state requirements requirements require require- ments except for senior English and then filled their courses Inthe in inthe inthe the senior year with snap courses The new method Is an upgrading program both in qualIty quality quality ity and quantity I By now It Is obvious to the towns people that there is no attendance officer Under the new policy as soon soot as ns a student has been declared truant he must make two choices he can either attend school as required or be dropped and turned over overto overto overto to the juvenile court It is the opinion of the admInistration administration administration ad ad- ministration and the school board that students want a well well- disciplined school That is what they are getting The teacher and pu pupil il morale is improved over that of a year ago This is due to better bettor plan plarl planning nin ning for the opening of school increase in staff to cut down do the size of classes and an improve improve- mm met t In leadership Another Improvement ment Is the lon addition of ot two cou counselors lon mak making making kIng k- k ing a total of four tour This staff was severely overloaded In th the past And now the future outlook Within 10 days planting should start on 00 the new football field By Dy next year ar the lights should hould be to the new field and anda a good track will be Installed A fine baseball field will be available and It is il hoped lights can be Installed on this Within a few years What Is needed In the way of new buildings building in the future The old library building and auditorium should be razed and andIn andin In Its Ita pf p pe e C e a building constructed construct construct- ed ert that thai adequately house housea a music department PE department department department depart depart- ment science and home economics eco eco- economics departments and a li Ii lI- lI The present gymnasium could then be remodeled with a sloping floor loor into a fine little auditorium for about people Adequate maintenance and warehouse facilities are ore necessary necessary sary A centralized distribution system is Js necessary to a system as large as this school system has grown There should be a avery avery avery very strict inventory method with a minimum and maximum for every item Stem to insure supplies being a available v n b 1 e and insure against an overload d of supplies The block where the school district office is located should be cleared In the place of old houses there should be tennis courts and paved basketball courts and maintenance and storage facilities facUlties I feel the school district and recreation co commission l should plan together on a project for year round tee rec The area of or evaluation must never be neglected An educational educational program falls short when leaming is not uppermost In Inthe Inthe inthe the minds of ot teachers and student stu stu- dents dent The surest guarantee of ot good adult citizenship Is good goodchild goodchild child and adolescent citizenship High quality education should provide fa a opportunities to develop de de' develop the characteristics essential essential essen essen- tint for democratic living b an environment where these be behavior be be- havior patterns can be practiced practiced tired and c that all pupils teachers and find parents arents be involved In evaluating the degree of success suc sue cess attained In reaching set goals To boost the evaluation program program program pro pro- gram here several things are arc planned visitations by groups where classrooms can be seen In operation followed by a n discussion dis dis- dis cuss Ion period perlo teacher parent cOnr as in the past and last but not least a n request that parents objectively review with the children to determine apparent apparent ap up parent improvement Summarizing his remarks Mr Stob gh said Your children are my first Interest I want to develop better better bet bet- ter continuity in our programs get better educated and more enthusiastic teachers raise scholastic schol astir standards and some moral standards In this field of education it itIs itis Is Jg necessary to know where we weare weare are arc going set a course with some flexibility and and then get the job done It is my firm beHe belief belief be- be lief He that we are on our way |