Laurel outlook., 1948-12-08
DISTRICTS SCHOOL
NEEDS ARE REVIEWED

A clinic of school plants will
be conducted next summer in
Bozeman by experts with national
regulations, as a means for in
forming authorities of what ex-
perience and science have found
best to recommend for future
school plant construction, Supt.
Fred w. Graft of the Laurel sys-
tenn disclosed in an address Tues
day at a meeting of the Rotary
club. Like the old domed court
houses and state capitols of
former generations, the once pre-
vailing ideas about the building
lof schools are being replaced by
a type of architecture that bet
ter meets the needs of pupils and
faculties.
Reference to the clinic was
made by the superintendent while
he was discussing local needs for
facilities and the existing struc-
lures in district 7. AS in his dis
course some weeks ago before the
Kiwanis club he declared that
good teachers make good schools
regardless of the type of build
ings, but adequate and proper
housing is a great aid to pupils
and teachers. He said he hoped
the club would support the pro-
gram for expanding local facili-
ties that may be adopted by the
school board.
In answer to possible critics
who might ask, Why was not
something done earlier to fore
stall a school space shortage
now? the speaker said in effect
that successive boards had done
well as they could with what
they had in money, taxable
wealth, bonding privileges and
constitutional limitations. He alb
solved them of inaptitude or neg
pointing to the high rate
of taxation that has prevailed
for many years, improvements
that were made with federal aid
the depression, and recent
increases of teachers salaries.
With federal grants the district
built a high school, two other
structures and improved another,
by which Laurel received more
than its moneys worth" in
matching funds.
Despite this, there has not been
an adequate building program in
past 20 years, he declared, at
tributed in part to the limitations
imposed by the war, material
shortages that have since pre-
and inflated costs. This
also national in scope, as in
Heated in a magazine article by
4 school superintendent in popu-
Gus Massachusetts, from which
quoted at intervals. Neither
S Laurel's increased population
unusual in a nation that Is sur
passing all previous levels. The
for space and housing is
everywhere. The problem
lere is found in virtually all
communities, east and west.
Along with this there have
'een progressive changes in the
'ast two decades in methods and
Electives of education. Today,
PARTICULARLY in elementary grades,
he trend is for wider scope and
increased activities, with a conse-
need for larger rooms. A
0 by 30-foot minimum is o
for beginning grades,
nth an auxiliary activities room
ttached or available. The space
or older grades is not so large,
1ough still larger than formerly.
In connection with changes in
lethods and detectives, the
choolman also noted revolutions
l equipment. Fixed desks are
ecoming passe, succeeded by
hose that are movable. The
ID type once cost about 81; the
ew ones are from $50 to S25.
Another very evident change is
one-story structures, out
loding the old two and three
DRY buildings, such as the
'orth school, once the districts
Ugh school. Although
ending that the North school
E used until the future makes
Their provisions, Graft was
Continued on Page Eighty