The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-03-16
Committee TAKES
UP REQUESTS FOR
NEW SCHOOLS
Makes Tour of City, Fortified With
Attendance Figures and Data on
Real Estate Values and Cost
of Construction.
Situation in the North End, West of
Woodward Will Receive Particu-
lar Attention.

Well fortified with attendance fig-
ures, data on real estate values and
cost of construction oil school build
ings, the council committee on claims
and accounts started out from the
city hall, Thursday morning. for 4
tour OF about 80 schools and pros
pective sites. Aid. Grindley. chair
man of the committee, with his usua!
conscientious effort, has been busy
for weeks gathering information for
the enlightment OF his colleagues on
this jaunt, the tenth Of the kind he
has engineered since he has been In
the council.
The committee will visit all schools
for which additions have been asked
by the board OF education, on the plea
that they are overcrowded. Aid.
Grindley has tables. showing exactly
what the conditions are not only
in the schools In question but In all
the other schools surrounding them,
and II can be determined at q glance
whether the addition, asked for by
the board are actually needed The
Franklin school, for instance, has
687 pupils and only CTS seats, ac-
cording to the tables. and an eight
room addition has been asked for,
TO relieve the congestion. The near
est schools are the Dagley apd Cass
and neither OF them is crowded to its
capacity. The committee will look
the ground over and determine wheth-'
er the other schools are near enough
to the Franklin TO afford relief; IL
not, the addition probably will be
allowed. This course will be follow.
ed in every instance of similar nature.
The committee will give particular
attention to the situation In the north
end, west of Woodward-ave., which
has been developing very rapidly.
The board has submitted estimates
for $4,000 addition to the Fair
banks school, at Hamilton boulevard
and Seward-ave., and for an 18-room
building at Hamilton and Taylor. The
Fairbanks Is badly congested. having
63S pupils and only $50 seats, and,
In consequence. halliday sessions are
being held in some OF the rooms,
There Is still considerable room in
the new Duane Doty school, at Ham.
ilton and Calvert, but this is too far
away for most OF the children who
attend the Fairbanks. Chairman
Grindley says the committee will do
something to relieve the situation,
but in no case will IL allow both the
addition to the Fairbanks and the
new school II will decide between
the two.
An 1S-room building has been asked
for In the vicinity Of Newland and
Forest-aves., and there seems to be
pressing necessity for relief here.
Three of the four schools in this neigh
borhood are overcrowded and the
other has nearly reached its capacity.
1t Is expected that the committee will
allow school in the vicinity OF JEFF
ferson-ave. and Fox creek, owing to
the rapid development of this section
within the past year or two. A sim
liar item was cut out by the estimat-
ors last year, and In the meantime the
Iillibridge school, which Is nearest TO
the proposed site. has become badly
crowded.
Aid. Grindley has consulted experts
regarding the item Of 100000 asked
for technical equipment In the Cass
Technical High school, and they say
the figure Is reasonable.
The school board has included In it's
budget number Of items for improve
ments In old schools. The committee
will look into these very carefully
and probably will do considerable
slashing. Aid. Grindley Is not mucn
in favor of spending any great amount
Of money in fixing up old and antiquat-
ed buildings. A 16-room building ask.
ed for, to replace the Clay school. Is
not regarded as urgent by the chair
man. Careful consideration will be
given the proposed purchase of tho
Ferry farm, Grand River and the
Boulevard, as site for new high
school and athletic grounds.
Aid. Grindley says the committees
jaunt will take about two days. The
schools to be visited are: Houghton,
Western High, Maybury, McKinstry,
Higgins, Bennett, Beard. Logan, Clip
pert, Dickinson, Owen, Franklin, Clay.
Fairbanks, Alger. Palmer. Garfield,
Central High, Campbell, Russell,