Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-06-18
Mr.. SOMMER'S
/ SCHOOL PLANS
ARE ADOPTED
New Commissioner Wins Vic
tory in Board of Education
for Elementary Pupils.
CHILDREN ON HALF TIME
WILL GET A FULL DAY
Triple School Scheme Aban-
doned-Construction Budget
Carries $1,51e,ooo.

A complete change of plans as to
special schools was made by the
Board of Education last night, fol-
lowing out the suggestion of Com
missioner Frank H. Sommer, the new
member of the board A week ago,
when Mr.. Sommer attended his first
meeting, he pointed out the error
of spending large sums for special
schools when $500 pupils in the ele-
mentary schools were on half time
or otherwise improperly cared for.
Elementary school improvements
will cost major portion of the ST.
$4,000 construction budget, adopted
at the conference of the board, and
by the change 1t is expected that The
half-tirne children will be taken care
of and get full-time instruction.
Commissioner Sommer's plan of
using all available funds to remedy
conditions In the elementary schools
was placed before the board by Com
missioner Charles P. Taylor. Miss
Winser also announced that she IA
vored this plan if the board would
only devote itself to solving it.
A rough drawing of what the pro-
posed triple school at Washington
and Linden streets would look like
was the turning point in the boards
plans. Ernest F. Guilbert, architect,
has been instructed to draw plans of
building housing the Fawcett
Drawing School, Girls Industrial
School and Boys Industrial School.
Mr.. Guilberts plans showed that this
educational structure would have to
be ten stories in height.
Members of the board smiled when
Mr.. Guilbert's rough drawing OF the
ten-story building was presented. For
q short time the members argued
that the plan might be modified by
eliminating one of the three schools
With the Boys Industrial School
taken out the building would be nine
stories tall
Don't Want Schools In Lofts.
We don't want our schools in lofts
like those of a factory building" was
the comment of Commissioner R.
Elmer Throsseil.
More cold water was thrown on the
triple-school plan by David HI. Cor
son, assistant superintendent of
schools. He submitted his report on
the boards inquiry as to whether it
would be practical to administer the
three schools in one building. Among
the objections were the height of the
building and the fact that boys and
girls of the ages of those attending
industrial schools should not be
thrown together.
"The latter objection does not ap-
peal to me-" said Miss Beatrice Win
ser, a member of the board.
Ohianfiof1c tn tho frinla cphnol Y1oada
by the superintendent continued:
"Such a building would have to be
tall building. With the shops on
the lower floors it would necessitate
the constant going up and down the
stairs between classes. Such a build
ing would have to be large at the out
set and in a short time would be in
adequate as the natural growth of
each school would render the build
ing too small.
Even with elevator service there
would be times in the day when the
congestion would be so great pupils
would have to use the stairway. The
Boys Industrial School should not
be in the centre of the city. That
would be inconvenient to many of
the pupils and those on the waiting
list. A centrally located industrial
school would prevent the use of any
ground for playground. Boys at
tending this school need a play
ground.
Want Boys and Girls Separated.
Boys and girls of the ages Of those
attending the industrial schools
should not be housed in the same
building, since each is to be under
the care of separate corps of
teachers. If all pupils were under
one set of teachers the problem would
be somewhat less difficult.
1.-THE fact that they are to have
separate entrances and are to be
separated in the classrooms does not
entirely overcome the objections
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