The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-20
CLOSE RICHMOND SCHOOL
Special Meeting of the Board
of Education to Consider
the Matter.
PUBLIC HEALTH THREATENED.
Other Public Schools Reported to
Be In Very Bad Sanitary
Condition.

Four hundred and ffty-three whooping
children were dismissed from the Rich
mond District School yesterday. The place
was condemned and closed by the Board
of Health on account OF not having proper
sewerage connections. This is the first
condemnation of a public school building
in the history of the City.
The Health Officer has had his eye on
the school for some time. Nearly two
weeks ago the Board of Health sent no.
tice to the Board of Education requesting
that something be done, as the place was
in a dreadful condition and residents in
the neighborhood were continually COM
planning. The School Department is short
of funds and was powerless to improve
matters. The Board of Health saw that
sharp measures were necessary to abate
the nuisance, and at Wednesdays meeting
the school was ordered closed.
When a health inspector visited the
school yesterday morning he found it run
ming as usual. He at once notified the
principal, Mrs. A. E. Herman, that the
place would have to be closed.
The principal telephoned Superinten-
dent of Schools A. ]. Moulder and asked
for instructions.
DISMISS the pupils till Monday" an
swered the Superintendent over the wire.
OF course, the school will have to be
closed for a longer time than to Monday
next, but by Monday the department ex-
poets to know what to do with the 453
pupils and nine teachers. They will be
apportloned among the schools in the
neigh borhood for time; in what num-
bers, though, and for how long has not yet
been definitely determined. Some of them
will go to the Hamilton School.
The Richmond District school-house is
said to be below the official grade of the
street on which its sewer runs. 1t will re-
Quire about $1,000 to make the necessary
improve ments.
1t has now developed that there are a
lot of other schools where the sanitary
conditions are such as to constantly
threaten the health of the children.
The Irving Primary School on Broad
way, near Sansome street, is said to be in
even a worse condition than the con-
demned Richmond District School. The
Bernal Heights School on Cum berlanu
avenue, near Moultrie street, is also in a
very dangerous condition. The other
schools to which particular attention has
been drawn are the South End School on
Williams street, near Henry; the Munroe
Primary, near the Five-mile House; the
West End, on the the San Jose road; Sutro
Primary, and the Laguna Honda. 1t is
said that none of these schools are pro-
vided with sewer connections. President
Dodge of the school board said yesterday:
The Richmond School certainly is in very
bad sanitary condition, but our limited funds
prevented us from making the necessary i'm
provements in the way of sewerage. OF course
this action of the Board of Health forces us to
do something, and no doubt plan will be de-
vised to meet the eXigency. There are good
many improvements OF the same kind that a re
needed. but there Is no money on hand with
which to pay for them. Had it been otherwise
this matter would have been attended to long
before now.
Health Officer Lovelace and School Direc.
tor McElroy are now examining the worst
of the schools in order to make an official
report to the Board of Health and to the
School Department. Unless some of the
buildings are repaired it is said that this
winters rain will make them almost unin-
habitable.
Mayor Sutro has declared that if the
present inspection shows that any schools
are a menace to public health they will be
condemned and closed at once, no matter
how much such action might inconven-
fence the Board of Education.
The matter is of such grave importance
that President Dodge of the Board of Edu-
cation has called special meeting for to-
night to specially consider it.