Evening star., 1948-12-15
Cost Of School
|EgressChanges
Astounds Board
Expected to Need
Big Sum Above
$350,000 Estimote
By Colt HendIey, Jr.

BY Colt HendIey, Jr.
Structural changes to the public
schools to bring them in line with
the requirements of the Districts
new fire prevention regulations are
going to cost substantially" more
than expected, an astounded Board
OF Education has learned.
1t was expected that the total
might run hundreds of thousands
OF dollars above the $350,000 pre-
viously estimated.
School Supt. Hobart M. Cornins
told the boards Buildings ano
Grounds Committee yesterday thai
Mckinley High School, one Of the
city's newest and most modern
structures, will need practically 9
major overhaul. He said the worl
needed at Mckinley was listed BY
Archie Hutson, District director Of
construction, so the board coulc
get an idea" of the scope OF the
changes needed in the ITO school.
here.
JduudTys
The new fire prevention regula.
tions, known as the egress regula
tions, will go into effect on January
for nearly all buildings except
private dwellings.
All concerned refused to make q
guess as to how much the total bill
will be for conversion of the public
schools.
DR.. Corning said the alterations
necessary to the schools will be "ex-
tensive' and much greater than
previously expected. He said the
work Mr.. Hutson reported must be
done on Mckinley High School is
as follows:
Enclose all stairways in masonry
walls, install self-closing fire doors
on these stairways, rearrange all
stairs which are used for egress SC
they open directly on the street OF
on to flre-resistant passages which
lead to the street, install metal
doors on all storage rooms, install
metal jamb and trim on all such
doors, install new interior fire
alarm system, install emergency
electrical source in all places of
public assembly (auditoriums, cafe
terlas), terminate basement stairs
in flre-resistant compartment with
8-inch masonry walls having metal
doors, jambs and trim, tie all fold
ing chairs in auditorium in groups
OF four, remove combustibies from
walls and ceilings of all places OF
public assembly, remove all COL
lapsible gates from exit corridors
and cover kitchen doors with metal
7th in White schools.
In the recent survey of public
school buildings released by DR.
George D. Strayer of Columbia Uni.
velsity, Mckinley ranked seventh
in the uf1ite high schools with {
score OF sos points out of a possibl,
IA 900. Schools scoring TOO or NOR,
FONTS are, in general, considered
very satisfactory buildings undel
DR.. Strayer's system.
Mr.. Hutson refused to guess al
how much the total bill for the
alterations to all schools will be
He asked the school board to ap-
prove a 5000 expenditure to start
drawing plans for the work, adding
that until the plans are drawn he
will not venture an estimate.
The Buildings and Grounds Com
mlttee voted to authorize the use of
the $5,000 which is available from
the schools general fund.
The public schools now are being
checked by men from the District
building inspectors Office. This Of
fice is responsible for checking all
the buildings in the District, both
private and public, which will come
under the new regulations.
All board members present ex-
pressed amazement at the SCOPE of
the regulations.
Asked $3.50, 900 Total
In the 1850 budget the School
Beard had asked for the beginning
OF flve-year program which would
total s350,000 to get the schools in
line. This estimate was based on
an incomplete survey of the fire
marshal's office.
Since then the building inspec-
tors office has been making a
thorough check.
In another action, the Buildings
and Grounds Committee voted to 20
ahead with plans for a 24-room re-
placement for the present Stanton
Elementary School.
Dr. Strayer, in his survey, has said
the 24-room school is not needed
He recommended 16-room build
ing and retention Of the 11-room
temporary annex to the Stanton
School.
DR.. Corning reported that Dr..
Strayer has agreed the School Board
was right in its plan, in the face of
the rising population in the Stanton
School area. DR.. Strayer said he is
willing to go along, so long as the
annex. is not demolished, DR.. Corn
ing told board members.
Both actions of the Buildings and
Grounds Committee are expected