The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-27
SOME BUILDINGS JUST DANGEROUS FIRE TRAPS
Survey Made By City Experts With Aid Of Fed eral Authorities Called To Birmingham For Purpose All Agree Facilities Have Been
 Completely Outstripped By The Population

and no other special. rooms of any kind.
 very much congested, there, being 1,1s3 pupils on the rolls while the normal capacity of the building Is only about half this number. Consequently four rooms in temporary buildings and three rooms in a store building across the street are used, as well as two small rooms which were never intended for children's use. The building Is in- correctly planned and improperly ori- ented. It also lacks practically all provisions for present-day require only IS square feet per pupil.
 13. Henley school-This is an old type ! building containing IA class rooms, bilateraily lighted and crowded. A sxood deal of repair work is neces- sary. Again the home economies and the shop rooms are too small. The school has no health quarters no audi from the two mentioned, and a lunch room. There is no playground except the park nearby. The unoccupied area is but Is square feet per pupil.
 IA. Lakeview School-The first unit of the Lakeview school was built 2z years ago. Considering its age, there fore N is in fairly good condition.
 
 domestic science room of ample size, an auditorium and a lunch room. The playground is undersized but the city park across the street furnishes addi- tional play space. l
 15. Martin School = The Martin school Is a good building Beautifully situated. It's shop and home econom- ics rooms are of ample size It has makeshift auditorium but no ade- quate indoor gymnasium space. As the work-study-play plan is in opera ton at this school. several class rooms The playground area of s2 square feet per pupil is increased by IA acre city park. a5.
 1S. Minor School-The main building at this school contains nine class rooms and is badly planned. There are seven class rooms in temporary structures. The insufficient light in these temporary rooms is a glarins injustice to children. The ventilation is problem. There Is practically no playground and worst of all the en- roliment at this school is 725 while the normal capacity Of the main Duilu-
 IT.. North Birmingham-Thef first unit of a modern weu-planned elementary school is under construction on the present North Birmingham site. The main building is IS years old, badly l. 1t will serve the initial unit of the new building until the wings are added to the new part. Although the old club house at the rear may be transformed into a gymnasium, its general appear ance invites depreciation. As soon as possible it should be torn down thus gaining some additional playground space.
 IS. Powell school-This building is one of the oldest in Birmingham, and o< planned for present-day use. It is, however, in better condition than many of the later ones. It is a pure class room school consisting of 12 rooms and Is badly over-crowded. The IS square feet per pupil of playground space csois IS proximity affords additional play space.
 19. Pratt School-This building is in good condition, but the lighting re- quires improvement. It includes 20 class rooms but like most of the other schools it's enrolment eceeds its hous- ing capacity. There Is an undersized home economies room and shop in the school but no gymnasium. A lunch room, equivalent in size to two class auditorium purposes. The playground area approximates only S1 square feet per pupil.
 20. Robinson School-This building has recently been improved and ex- banded by an annex. The school has 12 class rooms at present but lacks a gymnasium, an auditorium, drawing and music room, nature study, labora- tory and library. The cooking room is too small but the shop is of ample larger than that of most of the other schools, is still inadequate, being 123 square feet per pupil.
 21. Seventeenth Avenue School-This school represents the obsolete restrict ed type. It contains six class rooms bilaterally lighted and Is constructed so that epansion except by detached annexes is impossible. There is ample site area for annexes, but unfortunate ly, the school is improperly located with respect to the other schools. j
 P. South Highlands school-Al- though the first unit of the South Highlands school is 20 years old and of the old type of plan, the building Is In good condition. Aside from the recent new schools and those under interesting educational content of all the schools. This fact is not due, however. to the potentialities of the building but rather to the work-study- play plan which has changed the build- ing from a restricted class room struc- special rooms. In other words, several rooms have been appropriated for drawing, music, nature study and au- ditorium activities. An open air gym nasium has been provided. Although the playground area Is only 40 square feet per pupil, the small attractive park adjoining, actually expands the play ground space, to the required minimum. This school and the Martin are the two schools in Birmingham which bring the playgrounds into complete use. -
 The normal capacity of the South Highlands Schol is only 1,OS5 pupils. There are now 1,229 pupils on the roll. This school Is an example of the edu- cational enrichment and the economies brought about by the newer type of organization. The school needs most of all, an auditorium, gymnasium, school library, a nature study room,
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