Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-06-13
NINE SCHOOLS CAN
Be REORGAN|zED ON
THE PLATOON PLAN
So Says Mrs. Alice Barrows
Fernandez. Who Has Made a
Survey In Wilmington.
COST COMPARATIVELY LOW

BY authority OF the Board Of Public
Education, David A. Ward. superin-
tendent OF the public schools, recently
asked Mrs. Alice Barrows Fernandez,
Of the United States Bureau OF Edu-
cation. TO make a survey of some OF
wilmington's school buildings with a
view TO adapting them to the platoon
type of organization. Mr.. Ward re-
ported to the board yesterday after
noon that she had studied 10 build
~snRs. nine OF which appeared to be
adaptable TO the plan at a compara-
lively low cost. He announced that
detailed copies of her report. showing
the notifications and additions neces-
sary TO the adaptation OF these nine
buildings to the platoon organization
and also showing the Increased en-
rollment IN each OF the schools that
Will be made possible. and the ap-
proximate cost In each case. had been
mailed to the members OF the board
individually. and he presented a sum
mary prepared by Mrs. Fernandez, as
follows:
Underlying Aims Which Governed the
Work of the Survey.
Il. To select schools where the
principal is favorable to the platoon
plan.
"? To treat each school as an in
dividnal problem, so that the parucu-
lar needs OF each district may be met.
'S. To work out the reorganization
with the minimum Of expense.
"since eli the existing buildings in
Wilmington should ultimately be
scrapped. II would be very undesir-
able to put up permanent additions at
any of the present buildings, or to buy
additional land for them. except in
cases where the land could be used
permanently as playground.
Consequently. whenever a build
ing lacks an auditorium or gymnasium
, modern portable auditorium or gym
nasium has been recommended 1t is
possible 10 buy such portable audi
tortums and gymnasiums, fully equip
ped. for $500 each (. o. b. Such
portable units are always needed in
every growing city. and, therefore.
tho investment In them would not
represent a loss.
Schools That Can be Organized on the
Platoon Plan.
1T would be possible to organize
nine elementary schools on the platoon
plan in existing buildings. The
schools are: White schools, Nos. "a,
8. II, Is. 80. 1e and .; colored schools,
Nos. 80 and %.
The following is a summary OF
what would be accomplished IN eight
Of these schools by such reorganiza-
tson. School No. is treated as a
separate unit, as It is suggested that
! turned into administration offices,
thus relieving the congestion IN the
Wilmington High School.
AT present there are $500 chill
I dren IN the six white schools, MS. "a,
9. III. rs, 80 and 10. There are only
IS classrooms, however, in these six
schools. That means that there is
= capacity for only 2.2%o children In
other words. there are 1850 children
without seating accommodations IN
regular classrooms, or 80 more classes
than there are clASsrooms. Further
more. there are only four special ac-
rvtty rooms, two playroous. and four
Auditoriums for the $500 children In
these schools.
Under the platoon plan 1t would be
possible to accommodate 1920 chill
dren. This means that not only would
all the children in these six schools
b given q school seat when they
needed IL but also an increase Of %
per cent IN enrolment would be pro-
vided for. Furthermore, such a re-
organization would give to every
school an auditorium, space for play
and % special activity rooms, without
including such outside activities as
gardening. The total cost would be
ti1.o0o for No. "a: $4,000 for No. g.;
si2.s5o for No. II; s32. 900 for No. 25:
$4,000 .or No. 80. and $4,000 for No.
Is: making total of s66,35O
In addition to the reorganiza +inr,
Of the above six schools. it is also
suggested that the adzldnls.rAt-o4l
Offices be transferred from the VII
mington High School TO No 2 School.
thus concentrating all administrative
work. Offices of the superintendent,
vocational director, Anericanization.
business manager. etc. in one place,
and thus vacating five rooms In the
high school, thereby increasing the
capacity Of that building by $50 pupils.
This can be done by transferring 40
pupils from No. TO Nos. "a and 9 and
organizing No, on the platoon plan.
The cost would be approximately
5000.
In regard TO the colored schools II
n recommended that Nos. 20 and %