The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-18
CRISIS IN SCHOOL
WORkIN RICHMOND
Thousands OF Children Occupy
unsanilary and Inadequate
Quarters.
100000 is ASKED
KED FOR CHAUFFEUR TELLS HIS STORY
School Board Would Erect Series
OF Modern Structures in
Next Five Years.

That the city of Richmond is throw
ing away from $4,000 to $4,000 each
year in temporary patching OF anti
auated, dilapdated and unsanitary pub
lie school buildings. was the emphatic
statement of Chairman Charles IIutzler.
OF the City School Board, to the Coun-
ell Committee on Finance last night.
Mr. Huizler asked that the city pro-
vide not less than 100000. divided
among the years from 1911 to -.I5, to
replace buildings condemned and alto
gether unsuited to school purposes.
special delegations appeared. favor
ing new buildings 10 replace SPRING
held and Madison Schools. Mr. nutzler
reported that for lack Of adequate
quarters, 5000 children. one third OF
the entire enrolment, had been placed
on half time. most of them in rented
quarters. in rooms over stores and in
private houses, which Superintendent,
Chandler characterized as unsafe and
abominable."
Use alnny Rented Rooms
After presenting the annual budget
Tor maintenance of the public schools.
| chairman liutzler made n clear state
ment of the present condition of the
equipment, taking up each of the older
, schools In turn. lie confined himsclf ia
4 prepared statement which lie said had
oeen drawn mp after fullest consulta-
lion with superintendent Chandler, AS
sistant superintendent nm Building
Inspector Beck and members of the
schooi Board. lie reported school en-
rolment of 1856, with daily average
attendance ofe 1929. and with proper
quarters for but ll.729 pupils
While the city has in use at present
thirty elementary schools. only one of
them, Chimhornzo. may be classed as
OF np-to- date construction. The total
number OF teaching rooms is sos. OF
which nifty are in rented quarters.
| totally unsuita bic for school purposes.
| the rent bill alone being 81. 900 vear
or interest on the outlay for a large
modern school building
School-toomn Unht for Use.
or the buildings now in use, thirty
ono rooms are reported as totally unit
Tor school purposes. because of i'm
proper lighting or insufficient vent!la-
| ton. and ten of the rent ed rooms nr,.
also clnssed as UNFIT
Many OF the buildings, he stated
were erected from thirty to forty years
ago. al a time when the city was poor.
when school architecture had not adj
vanced. and when proper regard was
not paid TO light and ventilation and
to the safety OF the pupils cities OF
far less wealth and population. lie con.
! abandoning old buildings. and he ar
sued that Richmond should not ad-
rertisc itself as being either unable
or unwilling to replace it's inadequate
and dilapidated buildings. bnt should
| give patrons the benefit OF modern con-
ceptions OF school work ana public
safety.
Taking ur first tbs, white schools.
Mr.. llutzler made the following de-
tailed report:
White schools In use. 20. In good con
| dition. 6; in fair. condition, s; In bad
| condition. G; IN course OF erection. /:
new building authorized. L.
III Good Condition.
, Hanover. in course of erection is
class rooms and assembly, lslndergnr.
ten. manual training, and domestic
! science.
John Marshall High school. 80 cllss
rooms.
chimhorazo, with now addition. II
class rooms and assembly, kindergar-
ten and domestic science.
| Fnirmount. with recent addition. lo
class rooms and assembly, AMI kinder
gartcn.
Grace Arcnts school. authorized. .
class rooms and Kindergarten.
| Powhatan School, south Richmond
10 class rooms and Kindergarten.
In Ind Condition.
| John Smith school i'm old High School
| building. II class rooms In use. VEN
tilation. sanitation and High. bad: II
| rooms unfit for use; 3 rooms using ar
| tincial light nearly all the time.
| Madison school. IL class rooms In use,
no assembly room; basement rooms
dark and damp; improperly lighted
800 XOonfinued on TrbJrd Do o. 6.