The Illinois times. (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-19??, 1950-02-10
planters ASK
new BUILDING
FOR LAWHEAD

sehool e The east Is tie cheapest
step the Champaign community
unit school district e4a take, az
eording-ts 81 analysis = eosea-
tai building sites made Ter RE
school beard hy the Community
Plan office.
Champaign school directors are
scheduled to take % tbs problem
at a meeting At S pm. today in
an effort 10 solve pressing pr.sh-
lem brought on b. oeererowding
Of the school.
Weather to spend money 81
rs-ry v!va ior on- N assifiqa II
the old building or - break out
in n fresh direction with AZ eye
to the eventual development Of
this whole neighborhood IN
neighborhoed plan eonfronts the
directors.
Community planners have given
close study to the Lawhead sitaa-
ton realizing that the imminent
need may force a solution WHICH
will affect the entire neighbcrhoosi
for decades.
The study they have made,
which has the Endorsement Of this
citizens advisory committees
which have been closely following
the evolution of the master plan,
indicates that what may appear
TO be the easiest solution now
actually would prove expensive
and merely complieate the picture.
They reason this way.
Building a one-tory addition to
the present building will further
freeze" the problem in that area.
After the money once is spent on
an addition it will be more diff
heult to break away from the old
building built in 1907.
An addition to the school build
ing merely would extend its pres
ent facilities. The out-of-date build
ing probably would constrain the
architect TO carry on many of the
old-fashioned school building prin-
cipies in the design of the addi
ton.
A new structure could incor-
porate the latest school designs
and take advantage of the most
modern techniques in classroom
layout.
A new school site would permit
the use of new school ground,
affording badly needed additional
play area. tThe present "a acres
area is so percent under accepted
standards.
One of the most important rea-
sons from a financial standpoint.
the planning office has pointed
out, is that the acquisition of
ground to the east towards the
Douglas community center would
mean buying up the least yalua
BILE property in the area.
Statistics cited in recent let
ter, to William f. Clegg. chairman
of the school board, show that the
buildings to the east of the pres
ent school are assessed at $4.842,
while those Immediately to the
west tthe solution apparently fav-
ored now) are assessed at $lo.5S0.
The acquisition of ground to the
north would mean taking over
prperty valued at s6.i05, and an
other alternative solution which is
considered least feasible of all
would mean buying up property
valued at from $4,263 to S6,210.
The last suggestion is inadvis-
able for several reasons, includ-
ing the necessity of dispossess-
ing as many as q persons whose
homes would be acquired for build
ing purposes.
BY contrast the direct route
east of the school would mean TAX
ing over buildings housing only
Ave to seven persons who could
be- Accommodated in two new hous-
ing units. if these had to be pro-
vided.
In addition, some of the alterna-
tive expansion programs would re-
quire the demolition of new or re-
modelled houses, while not recent
ly constructed units are in the
block where the school would ex-
pand under the plan office pro-
posal.
The ultimate goal of the school
expansion as proposed by the plan
office is to integrate the new
school with the Douglas conlmun-
ity center and with the Eagle
AZ xx1.xL