Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1922-02-08

ings could be applied subsequently,
TO the reduction Of Indebtedness
or toward the purchase OF new sites
for future buildings
Playground Space
Hardly anyone will question the
necessity OF providing a playground
for each OF the new schools To
erect a large number OF smaller
buildings would require an excess
sive amount OF real estate both for
building sites and for Fairgrounds.
The larger buildings can be more
widely distributed and high site
costs can be avoided In the ma
iority OF cases. but yet not alto
Gcther. There is. however the pos
sibility Of placing our new schools
close to some OF the parks and
Fairgrounds Already owned by the
city. The National Education As
ISOLATION OF America recommends
an area for building and play space
combined. Of 272 square feet per
pupil the American Fairgrounds
Association considers 100 feet OF
playground per pupil as necessary.
These areas probably cannot be
secured In the more thickly set
tied portion OF a city. and we are
not recommending them for Will
mington at this time. but we think
10 well TO keep In mind the prac-
tice In some OF our cities, that so
square feet OF play space per pupil
is an essential and 100 square feet
Of play space per pupil is a de-
srable requirement in connection
with each public school. II this
standard should be adopted. an area
OF 100 900 square feet or 229 acres
would be the minimum area for play
space for a 2000- pupil school This
Is somewhat larger than the ma
jority Of our city squares. and un-
less we can take advantage OF the
city parks. we shall have TO secure
for building and for playground an
area equal to a double city square
with the street between vacated
This may seem excessive, but IL is
unQuestionably essential TO proper
development OF the children and in
addition provides ground for extern
sion in the future II Il should be
necessary.
Pupil Distance From School
The element OF distance Travelled
by the children from home to
school must determine the location
Of the building. We believe that
pupils in the elementary grades
should not have to walk over a
mile preferably three-quarters OF
a mile; pupils In the junior high
over one and one-half miles. pre-
ferably one mile. Assuming six
teen squares to n mile, we have
Indicated the possible location OF
the large schools. showing that
very small number OF pupils will
have to walk more than sixteen
squares and the larger portion will
have to travel considerably less
than this. II Il Is thought that
the sixteen square distance Is eN-
ccssive for the two or three lower
grades. IL Is possible to retain or
construct n few small schools for
these younger pupils at points
where the maximum length Of their
journey will be only about eight
squares. These small schools should
be comparatively Inexpensive as
no special activities are required in
the first three grades. OF course
the children within eight or pos
sihly ten squares OF the large
schools should be required to at
tend such schools.
Distribution Of Schools
We are trying 20 avoid recon-
mending a complete program OF
school buildings for Wilmington
but. nevertheless. we do lay be-
fore you, simply as a matter OF in
formation, possible location OF
schools In Wilmington. the num-
Der OF pupils according to grades.
the assessed valuation OF additional
sites and the total cost, followed by
certain general remarks. We also
leave with you a large plan OF the
city showing the outlines OF the
districts contributory to each school.
These are outlined In red The
sub-districts In which the smaller
schools may be located namely.
those caring for the lower two or
three grades, are outlined in yellow.
The colored schools are shown In
blue. The districts for the colored
schools are not outlined because Il
Is presumed that an the children
except those living In the immediate
neichhorhood OF Second and Wash
ington streets and Firth and Scott
streets, will attend the new consoli-
dated high school which Is to take
the place OF the Howard High
School.
A belief has been growing upon
us and we believe upon members
OF the Board Of Education and also
on city Council. that II would be
advisable at this time 10 build only
one new school. This school should
be OF 1000 or more capacity: IL
should be upon the most approved
plan, but without any unnecessary
frills and fade; severity plain in
architecture and adapted to carry
ing out the work-study- plan
or platoon system Of administra-
There are three possible sites for
such an experiment.
streets. This would be a school OF
2iQ0-pupil capacity II would in
volvc the purchase OF the balance
or the two small squares bounded
respectfully by Tenth Eleventh
KirlSwood. Spruce and by Tenth,
Eleventh. Spruce and Bennett. and
the street In between namely.
Spruce, could be vacated by the city
without any detriment to the pub
lle because 1t already ends at
Eleventh. The assessed valuation
OF that total property Is SllS,400.
We are estimating the cost OF
building at 1915 per pupil. or $40
cubic foot, to include all archi-
tects fees and equipment This
would mean approximately $500 600
or total OF $1,000. 900. II this
school were built the following
schools could be abandoned: Num-
bers ], 5, 6. s. 90, %. II. which
means that this one school would
take the place OF seven existing
schools. beside relieving the high
school OF the ninth grade pupils
The pupils Of this school would
have the advantage OF Kirlxwood
Park as playground One other re-
mark about this possible project
may be made. namely. that Flew
enth street Is to be widened al
some time. and the CITY Will have
10 condemn an OF that frontage al
separate expense, even N the
school is not huit. Our feeling Il
that the first school should be built
In the most thiclIly populated part
OF the city and adjacent TO a pub
Tic park or playground To build
such building would require ap-
proNimately twelve months. and
bond issues OF two years could bt
merged into the project.
Second. Another school may bs
] located en- the squares between
! Twentieth and Twenty first streets
and between Tatnali and West, anc
West and Washington Your boart
already owns the major portion o
the latter square your holdings be,
ing large enough upon which {,
erect the school building itself
while the portion for playground
purposes is being secured Thil
school has a contributory population
OF approximately 400 and shoul,
be built either to have extra avail.
able space or so constructed tina
IL can be readily enlarged to hav,
"a to |aair al 81