New-York tribune., 1922-06-24
A Schools Unfit:
Strongly Urged
Joint Committee OH Educa-
ton Finds Sanitary Condi-
tions Too Bad for Repair:
FireProiection Inadequate
Menace in Overcrowding
Searching Inspection Reveals
Some General Improve
ment i'm Older Buildings

Four public school buildings in New
York are sill unfit for use and should
be condemned, according 10 the third
report Of the Joint Committee on Edu-
cation. issued yesterday. They are the
Girls Commercial High School. the
Julia Richman High School. Public
School IO6. Lafayette Street. Manhat.
tan. and Public School 30. South Fourth
Street. Brooklyn.
Conditions in these schools. which
were first inspected by the Joint Com
mttec on Education q year ago. have
improved In a few details, but on tho
whole. thc report says, they arc so
markedly and in every respect undesir-
able that definite action should be taken
at once looking toward their abandon.
ment" Fire protection in eighteen
schools H. still rated as poor or fair
The palm for improvement in school
building goes 70 Public School 81. 5l9
West Forty-fourth street. "a striking
example OF what can be done 10 build
ing which has been allowed 70 run down
If real effort is made 10 ronovate H."
s50.O has been spent on paint, repairs,
new radiators and toilets. 40 that the
building Is now "spick-and-span.
Under Close Inspection
The Joint Committee on Education u
composed of nine civic and non-polit-
ieal organizations. working under the
chairmanship Of Nrs. Rogers II. Bacon
Of the National Civic Federation. Is
first report, issued a year ago, dealt
with forty schools. which had been
closely inspected from the point OF
view Of sanitation. fre hazards. light
Ing. ventilation and other essentials 10
healthful and comfortable places for
children. The present report deals
with thirty-fve Of these schools, the
others having been Withdrawn from
use few new schools have also been
surveyed for tho first time.
The Girls Commercial High School
the report says, "is rumored hfth on
the building list What does that mean
In terms Of years before the new build
ing is erected and the present one aban-
dorcd? The last report Of the Sjperin-
tondent Of School Buildings shows no
plan or proposal or mention OF new
building for this school
The three detailed reports on this
building were as follows:
May. 1921 Built fifty years ago,
this school serves about LOO girls. IS
very much overcrowded and badly in
need Of renairs. The sanitation is i'm
possible Old. inadequate, dirty-can't
be condemned too strongly. Lighting Is
poor. needs artificial light in most OF
the rooms There are almost no recre-
alton facilities. No rooms for the use
OF teachers. School is on double ses-
sion. In impossible condition for a
school building.
October. ls2l-Locker room has
been provided for teachers and twelve
rooms in another school utilized; other
wise all conditions remain unchanged.
May. l922--Conditions remain the
same. Hopeless overcrowding. Diff
cult 10 find any time 20 clean building
Plumbing is medieval. No rest rooms.
cloak rooms, lunch room for pupils. No
corridors. Floor space all used for
cassrooms. Stairway spiral and Of
wood construction"
The Julia Richman School
Concerning the Julia Richman High
School. which has long been an eye
sore to the public school system. the
report tor this spring says.
Repairs still under way. Radia-
tors delivered in February not yet in
stalled. Fire protection improved, but
still not adequate. Sanitation made
quate. Child size toilets situated in
open yard. In bad condition. Lavatory
and lockers badly needed for men teach
ers. Great need for lockers for pupils
also
Fire protection in eighteen schools
Is still rated as poor or fsir now"
while five are rated az showing some
Improvement"
The report continues;
'ln the original report on forty
school buildings, eleven are described
as being a definite menace in case OF
FIRE, and twelve as having only fair
protection. meaning either inadequate
FIRE escapes or too small and cramped
hall and aisle spaces. Ten schools only
Of the thirtythree actually reported
on or less than one-third, had sde-
quate fire protection.
The third survey shows very little
improvement. Obstructed doorways
have been cleared and rubbish cleared
up In some cases
The buildings rated az poor or
fair" are numbers II, l3, rs, i06, i27
in Manhattan: and 3 in IN. Bronx;
Girls Commercial High School. and
numbers 10, l3. Is, is, c5. 30 and 81
in Brooklyn, and numbers 25 and s5 in
Queens: a total OF eighteen. Those
which show some improvement are
numbers IS and % in Manhattan, and
the Julian Richmsn High School; num-
Der 80 in the Bronx, and number 25
IN Queens.