Ilion High School - Class of 1954

Ilion Sentinel - February 16, 1954

Overcrowded Conditions at Ilion High Stressed in Student Editorial Column

Article 16

Source pdf file is here Illion NY Sentinel 1954 Jan-Aug - 0093.pdf on fultonhistory.com

Ilion Sentinel - Overcrowded Conditions at Ilion High Stressed in Student Editorial Column - 1954

Overcrowded Conditions at Ilion High Stressed in Student Editorial Column

ILION . . . A student editorial is the current issue of the "Golden Quill," Ilion High School newspaper, points up the overcrowded conditions that will soon force action at the high school.

The editorial is written on centralization, a study of which is currently under way by the Ilion Board

of Education and the state Department of Education.

The estimates on enrollment for next year in Ilion indicates that, overcrowding of classrooms will have nearly reached the desperation stage by that time. Centralization seems to be the only answer to the problem - and the best way of easing the burden of taxpayers who want to provide the best in education for their children.

The student editorial is as follows:

IHS NEEDS CENTRALIZATION

In valley newspapers including the "Golden Quill" people have learned that Dr. Earl P. Watkin superintendent of Ilion schools, Joseph A. Baker, principal of high school and members of the Board of Education have met with Albany officials to work out the details of Ilion centralization.

Centralization or no centralization, Ilion High School will have to be enlarged. This year three new classrooms had to be found to house the growing number of students. The Junior High School gave up Room 9 for the sixth grade. Miss Genevieve Ruby gave up one of her office practice rooms for Stanley Wilski, the new commercial teacher.

The office practice equipment which had been kept in that room is now crowded into room 18 together with equipment that was already there. Martin Keller, the new teacher of the ungraded students, had to take one of the shop rooms for his class, a room which had been used by Edward Shattuck.

This year 672 students are attending high school. Next year there will be 759. Where will they go?

The junior class of 95 students now has three rooms, 15, 11 and 12. Next year the junior class will have 144 pupils, about 50 more than this year. This means that two more rooms will be needed to house the juniors. Again, where will go? The school must be enlarged and centralization is not the reason for enlargement. The growth of the student body is the real cause.

Centralization will not increase the number of students. Those students who will be included in the new school district are already attending the high school. The increase that Ilion High will get is in money. If a centralized school has to be built or enlarged and Ilion High School must, with or without centralization the state will provide 40 per cent of the building costs.

Instead of the total cost of the addition resting on the shoulders of the taxpayers of Ilion alone, part of the burden will be distributed among all taxpayers in New York State. Ilion has nothing to lose, and very definitely, something to gain.

In addition to the money per cent paid by the state, the school would also receive 12 per cent more public money for all pupils attending school in the Ilion district. This money could be used for new gym equipment, books, desks, teachers, educational movies, or a greater variety of subjects.

The increase in the present student body makes enlargeing the school a necessity and the taxpayers in Ilion will pay for the addition.

Centralization will not add to the cost of maintaining the school, nor to the number or students, but will help pay for its enlargement and also provide the school with more money per child. When Ilion gets centralization for its schools, the town can only gain by it!

Created and maintained by Aileen Carney Sweeney - Class of 1974