SURREY PARK SCHOOL OVERCROWDED

Southland Times, Issue 24422, 30 April 1941, Page 5

SURREY PARK SCHOOL OVERCROWDED

REQUEST FOR ADDITIONS DISCUSSED During a transitional period, when the population of an area was fluctuating, it was often advisable to make temporary arrangements for accommodation in an overcrowded school until more definite information was available about future requirements, said the Director of Education, Dr C. E. Beeby, at the meeting of the Southland Education Board yesterday. His remarks were made during a brief discussion about additions to the Surrey Park School.

A letter from the Education Department acknowledged the board’s request for authority to erect three additional classrooms at Surrey Park. The application had been considered along with the grading rolls of the other city schools which had declined from a total of 3595 in 1938 to 3509 in 1940. During this period the Surrey Park School of six classrooms had been established and apparently had relieved the overcrowding at city schools to .such .an extent that there was now spare accommodation at the Middle and North Schools. The department appreciated that the Surrey Park area was being developed rapidly as a residential area, but as space accommodation existed at the Middle School, and more classrooms were likely to be vacated when the intermediate school was established, it was felt that in the meantime pupils should be diverted to fill the empty classrooms at the Middle School.

The secretary, Mr H. T. Thompson, said there were no pupils above Standard IV at Surrey Park at present. Next year’ part of the Standard IV pupils might have to be excluded. The school had accommodation for 240 pupils and the present roll number was 236.

Several members said the best plan would be to push ahead with the intermediate school and see what effect that would have on the roll numbers at nearby primary schools. Then the additions required at Surrey Park would be more definitely known. Mi’ W. Bell said that with the development of the business area of the city the. Middle School would probably disappear altogether. Dr Beeby said that was a usual experience in central schools in expanding cities. It was decided to request the secretary of the school committee to keep the board informed of the position of the roll number at Surrey Park.