Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-26
For a Wider Schoolhouse Use.

At a meeting of the board of education
hold Thursday afternoon a committee
was anpointed consisting of one of the
members and the superintendent OF
schools to ascertain what amendments
should be made to the law to permit
r.,der use of the school buildings by the
paonle Of this community. In the interest
OF civic development. Washington Is not
I'm with the procession of american cities
in the matter OF utilizing the school plant
for Wholesome social purposes. and II IS
time that something was done TO hFine "
into line. The school plant represents an
immense expenditure Of money. ana Wheh
devoted exclusively to education it repre-
sents an economic waste. Each nufid1hs
is used only during daylight hours on
five DAYS of each week during nine or the
twelve months of the year. A simple
bit of mathematics shows how. small
percentage of the school building value is
used under the present local practice For
ordinary school purposes. not counting
the special occasions such as concerts and
other entertainments conducted by the
pupils each schoolhouse is used on an
average about 195 times each year.
without regard to holidays. Counting
out the holidays the schoolhouse is actu-
aIlv in use for educational purposes on
about 175 occasions. Reckoning every
day of the year as offering two occasions
each for schooikouse use. day and even
ing. there are 40 possible units of use In
each school building. Excluding Sun
DAYS there remain 626 available annual
occasions of use. only 175 of which are
actually employed educationally- This
leaves 451 times when the schoolhouse is
idle though available for some purpose
making for the improvement OF social
conditions Thus each schoolhouse. dis
regarding Sunday, is put to a fraction
less than % per cent of its potential
community work, a waste OF somesI2 per
cent.
business enterprise that found It's
plant idle nearly three-quarters- OF the
time would regard the investment as
badly managed. The community that
allows its school plant to stand idle to
this extent is wasteful. of its opportuni-
ties. For a great many. years perhaps
il has regarded the school building as
something set apart for one particular
purpose. Perhaps it has not reached the
point of development Of conceiyfng the
possibility of any use other than the
housing of classes Or maybe 1t has not
1e1t any particular neeO- vi idIe, HOW
ever. the truth has been realized in most
American cities that there should be a
closer communion between the teachers
and parents. that the educational process
should not be limited to the children
that the parents have much to learn from
one another and need to be brought into
closer relationship in order to study the
problems of city life and to try to reach a
better understanding of their own and
their children's social needs. Hence the
organization of parent-teacher associa-
lions and similar bodies. The play
grounds are a development in this same
line. Washington has made beginning.
but has not gone far enough to suit those
who recognize the real social needs of
the community, and it Is gratifying now
TO find the board Of education moving
practically toward the loosening of the
legal ties which bind up the schooIhouse
tightly in a manner to prevent its prac-
teal and beneficial use by the people.