Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1922-02-08
Work-Play School For City To Be Built Soon

ground required is $40 900. We es-
Innate the cost OF the building to
accommodate a pupil enrolment OF
400 at s675.O making a total cost
OF sos. 900 to care for the present
pupil population II this school
were built 1t would close Numbers
80 and ~ and take a norton Of
the grammar school, pupils now
attending "a. In the event Of this
school being built Number % school
might be retained, additional ground
purchased for a playground and
used to take care of the lower
two or three grades in the imme-
diate vicinity. The cost Of this Is
problematical. depending upon what
is done to the building. We have
presumed that $50 600 will be more
than ample to cover this expense
and the assessed valuation OF the
additional site would be 81 200
Third A third location for this
first school might possibly be In
the southwestern section OF the
city Such a location might well
be the squares between DUPONT and
Clayton streets. from Elm to lin
den and from Linden TO Maple.
with the vacation OF Linden street
from DUPONT to Clayton. This
school as outlined would have a
capacity OF $500. II would be erect
ed at an estimated cost Of $3.50. 000
The ground is assessed at S17525
making "a totai cost OF S96I525. This
would take care OF the pupils from
Number 25, 10. 10 and a portion OF
those In Is. Along with this school
IL seems likely that Number 20
would have to be retained or en-
largcd and an additional small
schoo for the lower two or three
grades built at location IN the
NrsHN faH l. 4
can streets. The ground around
Number 25 Is owned by your board;
the cost OF n school at Ninth ave-
nue. and Duncan street accommO-
dating $50 pupils. would be approXi-
mately $50 500, the ground would
cost about $500 making a total
cost Of $50. 600 Therefore the total
cost Of taking care OF the SOUTH
western section OF the city If we
retain and make no alterations to
Number 25 school. would be Sl,032,-
525.
or course in considering the cost
Of these large schools we must al
ways remember as an offset the
value Of abandoned school prop
General Type Of Building
We beg to submit to you al this
time on behalf OF our Engineering
Department a sketch plan OF a
two-story building which would ac-
commodate 2i00 pupils Beside the
necessary classrOoms, spccial-roOms,
officss and so forth there would be
a kindergarten, two small gymna-
Sums, one auditorium and two
open-air play courts. WE believe
this to be the most economical type
OF building that can be erected.
Method Of Approaching the
Problem
As your board asked for our CO.
operation, we feel 10 Incumbent
upon us to submit this report to
you In the first instance. II is
our sincere hope however. that
your board will not try TO reach a
conclusion alone The city OF Will
mington Is so constituted by law
that the School Board can do moth
ing without the confidence and the
financial assistance OF city Coun-
cil. We therefore recommend that
in the near future before any deci-
sion Is reached there shall be a
conference between the Board OF
Education. the City Council. to-
gether with the Mayor. City Soil
citor, City Treasurer and the Del
aware School Auxiliary Associa-
ton. To that conference represen-
tatives OF the city newspapers
should be invited In order that the
citizens Of Wilmington may know
that every step Is being taken witt
due elaboration and with absolute
openness and candor.~
1 remain,
Yours sincerely.
JOSEPH II. ODELL.
A. J. TAYLOR. '''oe'