Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-02-16
School Building
Program
ny David A. Ward. supt. Of fschools.


buildings IL a generally accepted fact.
That the cor Of re-housins all the
schools at once would be prohibitivs
Is evident. The necossity for distribut-
Ing building program over q period
Of years makes It very important that
a scientific study OF fundamental con-
d,tions relating to school congestion,
and growth OF the city be
made in advance OF the c.option Of a
dennite plan for tho erection OF build
inEs. Before beginning construction.
the needs of the various sections OF
the city must be known In order to
wisely the size. typo and
location Of the FIRST building.
II was upon theme considerations
that the Board OF Public Education
asked and received the assistance OF
the Delaware School Auxiliary Asso-
,iation, and this association has
rendered a most valuable service to
the city in placing at tho disposal OF
the board scientiic information. which
,nablcs II TO approsch with assurance
10 stupendous task OF providing ade-
quate housing facilities for the chill
dren Of Wilmington.
1t was in accord with the same
policy OF making n thorough study
Of conditions that the trips to Detroit
and other cities have been made for
the inspection Of buildings and orga-
ni1ation plans. II Ia the policy OF the
board. In planning for the erection
Of buildings. to become familiar with
the latest models and the approved
types OF organization OF schools. in
order 10 adapt the best that other
cities have TO the needs Of Whining.
ton.
The city Of Detroit not only offer.
an opportunity to see the latest de.
elopment in school architecture. bu
It furnishes the mcet outstanding ex,
ample OF the type OF school organl
ration known a. the Work-Study
Play plan. or the platoon school. TIL,
first platoon school was opened In De
tro!t In the fall OF 1918. In September
1919, the Board OF Education adopt
! cd resolution providing that all new
buildings for the elementary school,
to be erected should be planned an,
built 70 accommodate the platoon typ
OF organization. A number OF old build
!ngs have been remodeled TO adap
them to this plan. With these remodel
ed buildings md the new building
erected since 1919 the city now has 1
Schools organized and working on thi
plan. The platoon school has becom
very popular in Detroit, and section
of the city still operating under tn
traditional organization are asking 10
new schools or modification Of oil
buildings TO adapt them 10 the pla
faster than the board can meet tn
demand. A. evidence of the geners
attitude toward the plan there. tn
school of'cials state that while the
have great many applications frol
teachers for transsers from tradition
al schools to platoon schools, they ha,
no applications for tranefers from Die
toon TO traditional schools, and the un
versal reply Of teachers and pupil
when asked whetaAr they like II
platoon rs well as the traditions
school, is that they like Il much be
ter and would not be willing to retur
TO the old plan.
The distinguishing feature Of Il
platoon school is It's hundred-p,
cent. use OF room by a system OF a
ternating classes and reaates TO organ
ration. IL !e an administrative
rather than a professional differenc
Under the conventional organizatic
every child is provided with a ses
and all the children of the school a
seated In regular class rooms at Il
same time. Any gymnasium, auditor
um. or other special type OF room mu
be provided in addition 20 the ella
rooms. and when these special roor
are in use the class rooms are vaea,
Under the platoon organization all
o. the e,pace. both class rooms and spec
rooms are in use ali the time. This
accomplished by dividing The ent,
school into two shifts. or platoons,
an equal number OF classes in &C
e responding grades.
% For example. school OF twenty 10
classes under the old plan would !
, quire a building with twenty-fo
= classrooms,< and in addition the
would have to be provided an au,
torium, gymnasium and other spec
u rooms TO take care OF the special q
u tivities outside of regular classroc
work. Under the platoon type I
building would be provided w
l. twelve regular classrooms, and q s,
,s fcient number of special rooms