Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-14
SCHOOLS
SHOWN AS COSTLY
Survey Reveals Economic
Advantage of Permanent
Eight.room Buildings.
tconttnued Prom First psge.l

their findings to the municipal archi-
tect Wednesday and upon that report
will be based the school boards future
policy in dealing with overcrovding in
the schools.
No Saving TO Taxpayers.
Whether these two studies result IN
the Punishment Of portable school
houses in the Capital cannot be FORE
cast 1T this time, but the cost COM
parsons Of the two types Of class
housing leaves little doubt that the
taxpayers and Congress are saving no
money by sending IS groups Of Wash
Sngton boys and girls to school IN the
Saggins, vibrating, daylight admitting
novels which this reporter visited with
the municipal engineers last week.
According to tabulations made with
figures supplied by school ofhcials and
by the municipal architects once,
portable school classroom facilities for
$40 pupils actually cost 5s.l per cent
Of the total expenses incurred by a
typical eight-roonn building Of pernla-
nent construction during the 12-year
period that has elapsed between the
purchase Of the majority OF the port.
ali facilities found in the permanent
structure been provided in portables
the cost Of the temporary buildings
would have been slightly more than II
per cent Of that Of the permanent
sctool, .
In comparing prices and costs Of
permanent schools and the portables
such factors Is the utter lack of factli-
ties in the temporary" buildings which
are found in the permanent structures
must be considered. A permanent
eight-roonl school unit of the type
which was being erected when the port
ables were bought, contains eight class
rooms on It's two main floors and q
boys playtoom, a girls playrcom, q
boys toilet room and girls toilet room
In the basement. Such q building II
or IL years ago cost $125, 900, tnclud-
ing heating equipment and fixed plumb
ing and blackboards. Pupil and teacher
furniture cost then $4,000 so that the
original investment totaled $4,000 and
provided for 800 pupils.
A portable schoolhouse Is one room
only, the four sectional walls OF the
building comprising the interior walls
Of the classroom. These buildings,
with all equipment including furnace
for each portable, blackboards ana
classroom furniture, cost the District,
according to Robert L. Haycock, $4,000
each. TO house $40 pupils In portables,
therefore, eight separate buildings must
be bought 50 that the total initial build
ing cost would reach $4,000.
Portable Heat Bin, $2s,52O.
The average yearly ecst Of hsating
the eight-room brick building is $37o,
or an approximate heat bill for the 12-
year period Of @4,4oo. The average
heating cost for one portable Zone
classroom Is S245, according to Maj.
r. Q. Wilmarth, assistant superin-
tendent Of schools Ia charge Of business
affairs, who also supplied the perna-
nent building heating figure. There
fore, the heating bill for eight class
rooms In portable schools for the IL
years covered by the tabulation totals
According to figures compiled by the
District repair shop ct the request Of
the municipal architects ONCE, the re-
pair bill for q typical eigtt-roorn per-
Inaf,ent school approxtlnates $16,50o.
The actual repair expense supplied by
the repair shop was that Of the Blair
School, covering the last 10 years only
and amounting 70 $i5,700. Since re-
pairs 70 building Of this type during
the frst year. Of It's use range Is low
as @4o0 year, an additional $500 for
repairs for th additional two years
was added IN the tabulAtton. Any