USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Reading > Town of Reading Massachusetts annual report 1944 > Part 12
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In order to plan for school plant facilities of the future while pro- viding adequately for the present, it is necessary to attempt to estimate what the problems of education of the future may be - that is, estimates must be made on approximately how many children there will be to edu- cate, where they will be located within the district, how they will be or- ganized into teaching units, what subject matter will be taught, and how it will be taught.
In addition to these attempted estimates and judgments on the fu- ture, it is necessary to evaluate the existing school plant in terms of present and probable future needs, so that sound decisions can be made as to the disposition of the existing plant, what units should be abandoned immediately, what ones should be kept for a limited time, what facilities should be marked for retention and improvement, and what new facilities should be planned, both for immediate and future construction.
Naturally all of these considerations must be tied in with the econ- omic structure of the district, so that the financing of the school plant and its operation will be in line with the ability of the political unit to provide all the public services required of it. Need must always be bal- anced against ability to pay.
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The Existing School Plant
In order to evaluate school buildings and grounds, there must be some sort of a yardstick with which to measure. In other words, it cannot be said that a school building is good, bad, or indifferent unless there is a set of standards against which comparisons are made. A brief and simplified list of such standards, with a short discussion of each, follows :
1. A school building must provide safety for children, teachers, and other employees. Hazards in a school may be classified roughly into four categories, as
1.1. The hazards of minor accidents, such as falls, cuts, burns, bruises, brought on by such things as faulty stairs or steps, slippery floors, dark passageways, sharp projections, bad playground surfaces or equipment, and similar conditions.
1.2. The hazards of impaired bodily functions, brought on by such conditions as poor light, either natural or artificial, seating that develops bad posture, and poor accoustical properties in classrooms that create nervousness and related conditions.
1.3. The hazards of communicable or infectious diseases, induced or augmented by poor ventilation, inadequate heating, and lack of cleanliness, especially around toilets, showers, lockers, and wash basins.
1.4. The hazards of major catastrophes, such as fires, explosions, wind storms, and floods.
2. A school building should be planned for utility. It should pro- vide adequate and suitable space for the work to be carried on therein. It must be evident to anyone who reads this statement, that such adequacy and suitability of space can be determined only after the "work to be carried on" is defined specifically in terms of the number of pupils to be housed, the organization of these pupils into teaching or learning groups. the educational program to be offered, and the methods of teaching to be followed.
The same principle applies also to the school plant as a whole. The complete educational job to be done for the entire district should determine the number, location, type, and size of schools, keeping in mind both present and probable future needs.
3. A school building should be planned for economy. But economy must not be confused with cheapness. Economy in schoolhouse planning means that there is a maximum of usable space and a corresponding minimum of waste space, so that the educational program, both within a given building and throughout the entire
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system, can be administered with efficiency and resulting econ- omy; and that the structure itself is of such design and quality of materials as to permit efficient and economical mechanical operation coupled with low-cost maintenance. A truly eco- nomical building permits a high degree of utilization, economical operation, low-cost maintenance, and ready expansion. Cheap- ness invariably results in the opposite of these conditions.
4. A school building should have beauty. One of the fundamental objectives of education is to develop within children the love of the true, the good, and the beautiful; and there seems to be no better way to start this development than to surround the child daily with simple beauty. Fortunately it costs very little more to create a school and its immediate environment with beauty and good taste, than to produce the dull, foreboding structures that are all too typical, and supposedly representing economy. The gaudy "ginger-bread" type of structure has no merit at all, as it exhibits neither economy nor beauty.
The following evaluation of the school plant of Reading is based, therefore, on a measure of the individual buildings and sites in terms of sgafety, utility, economy, and beauty, and in terms of the relative value of each building to the school system as a whole.
The Chestnut Hill, Prospect, and Lowell Buildings
These can be discussed together, because with a few exceptions, conditions in all three buildings are similar. The Chestnut Hill building has only two classrooms, while each of the other two has four class- rooms. These latter buildings are two-story structures, while the first named is a one-story building. All three are frame buildings, and were built in 1870, 1887, and 1890 respectively, making them 74, 57, and 54 years old. None of them has any of the features of a modern elementary school, and it is safe to say that the excellent work being done therein is doubly commendatory because it is entirely without the valuable aid that modern building facilities can render. The teachers' success is in spite of, rather than on account of, the buildings.
These buildings not only lack the facilities for offering a complete elementary program involving development in health, music, science, hand-work, and group activities, but each school is so small that it would be extremely uneconomical to attempt to provide such facilities at each school. It is fairly generally accepted among educators and school business officials that, from both the viewpoint of educational efficiency and economy of operation, the enrolment of the ideal elementary school
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should lie somewhere between 300 and 6001. This will permit efficient and economical grouping of children, and the resulting efficient and economical use of teachers, while at the same time there will be sufficient children to develop the larger group activities in music, drama, and organized play so necessary in elementary education. This seems to b'e the size of school wherein children can learn to live together in larger groups without loss of identity.
If the foregoing statements are reasonably accurate, then these three buildings do not rate high in either utility or economy. Certainly it need not be argued that they contribute anything in the development of appreciation for the beautiful. They contribute nothing for the child on that score, and nothing to the community in which each is located.
As to the matter of safety in these buildings, it is very difficult to convince some people that a building is unsafe if it has been used for some time and "nothing has happened." It is very easy to adopt the attitude that "It Can't Happen Here." And no report such as this should be used to frighten parents into thinking that their children are in constant danger while they are in school. But on the other hand it would be unwise not to point out any existing hazardous conditions.
Exit from the Chestnut Hill School seems comparatively simple since this is a one-story building, with exits practically at grade. But the Prospect and Lowell buildings each have two classrooms on the second floor. It is true that each building has two stairways leading from the second floor, but in the Prospect building one of these stair- ways is so completely hidden and inaccessible that it was not discovered by the writer in his recent inspection of the building.
But regardless of the two stairways, these buildings are hazardous because they are constructed completely of wood-and any building that will burn is hazardous. In order to emphasize this point, it is worthwhile to quote from a pamphlet entitled 1000 School Fires, pub- lished by the National Fire Protection Association in Boston. The first quotation concerns the burning of the Lakewood elementary school at Collinwood, Ohio, on March 4, 1908, between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. One hundred seventy-three children and two teachers lost their lives.
"At the time (of the fire) the Collinwood schoolhouse was con- sidered a modern building of average construction. ... The building was provided with two separate exits and an outside fire escape. The
1Edwin C. Broome, in the 1941 issue of the Phi Delta Kappan, recommends 300-400 enrolment and class groups of 25-30 as the ideal elementary school.
Leo J. Brueckner, in The Changing Elementary School, Report of the Regents' Inquiry (New York) recommends "approximately" 600 in grades K-6.
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children were familiar with the fire drill. All in all there was nothing unusual in connection with the school to indicate that such a horrible catastrophe could happen. There remain hundreds of schools by no means as well constructed or secure against such a loss as was the Collinwood School." It should be pointed out here that this was not an all-frame building, but was almost exactly of the same brick wall and interior wood frame construction as the Highland school.
The second quotation, from the same pamphlet, concerns the destruction by fire of the Parochial School at Peabody, Mass., October 28, 1915, at 9 a.m., during which 22 children lost their lives.
"The building was a large and roomy structure, having exits thought to be ample for the number of children housed. Many times at fire drills it had been vacated in a minute and a half. The children were well disciplined, but they had only been trained to leave the building by the way of the two usual exits. Unfortunately this line of march led directly into the corridor where the smoke and fire were pouring up from the basement. While the exits provided were all the law required, these were not adequate to provide proper safety."
Three interesting facts are brought out in tables on pages 35, 37, and 44 respectively, of this pamphlet. First, of the 1,000 fires, 287 were in public elementary schools and 255 in public junior or senior high schools ; second, of the 1,000 fires, 720 were in classroom buildings; and third, of the 1,000 fires, 444 were in buildings of brick, stone, or concrete with wooden interior, 181 were in frame buildings, and 34 were in fire- resistive buildings. There were 650 lives lost in the elementary and high school buildings.
It seems fair to conclude that the Chestnut Hill, Prospect and Lowell Schools have only to a very low degree, the factors of safety, utility, economy and beauty,-that they have served their purpose, have outlived their usefulness, and should be replaced immediately. The manner of replacement is discussed in a later portion of the report.
The Highland School-This two-story building, constructed in 1896, is 48 years old, but still of fairly pleasing appearance, and will require careful consideration to give it its proper rating in the total school plant program. It now houses approximately 350 children and 12 teachers in grades one through six. There is one teacher only for each of the first four grades, but four teachers for the 5th grade and a like number for the 6th grade. This is because the children of the 5th and 6th grades of the Chestnut Hill, Prospect, and Lowell School areas all attend the Highland School. This building can be evaluated best by balancing its assets against its liabilities.
On the credit side this building is fairly well located to serve the present pupil population living north of the B and M tracks and west of Main street, and now attending both Highland and Lowell schools.
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Likewise the capacity of this building is in its favor, as it can accom- modate between 300 and 350 children in the elementary grades, in so far as classroom space alone is concerned.
The large classrooms can be definitely advantageous, if they are used to encourage the type of pupil-teacher activity of the modern elementary program. But the large area must not be used merely to increase the number of pupils per teacher, on the assumption that economy may be effected.
On the debit side, there are many items that should weigh heavily in the final disposition of this building. In the first place, and of greatest importance, the building is not fire-resistive, and therefore must be placed in the category of fire-hazardous, even though it seems to be of excellent brick and frame construction. It has already been pointed out that 444 of the 1,000 schools destroyed by fire were of this same type of construction. It is almost axiomatic to say that this type of building is hazardous largely because it appears to be so safe. A fire in this type of building burns with greater intensity because it is confined within walls that often serve as a flue. Fortunately such a building can, by great care and proper treatment, be made reasonably fire-safe.
Chief among the liabilities of this building, both in terms of safety and utility, are the poor assembly room located on the second floor, the classrooms located off the assembly room rather than off the corridor (such design should never be permitted), the winding stairs supposedly designed as safety exits, and the basement toilets. The lack of a gymnasium is a definite handicap to a good health program, either in elementary or high school. This fact seems to have been overlooked completely throughout the Reading school system, except for the Junior High School. This same statement can be made for an adequate well-developed playground. At least five acres are necessary for an elementary school of grades one through six.
The last feature of this building to be listed as a liability is its age and inevitable deterioration. Nothing has been said so far concerning the mechanical features, such as artificial lighting, heat, ventilation, and plumbing. These always can be improved, but in a building the age of this one, the cost of maintenance and repair on both the structure itself and on these mechanical features, can reach the point eventually where complete replacement is the most economical answer. The Highland School probably will reach that point within the next decade. Consider- ing the more urgent needs in other areas, and the apparent financial limitations of the district, it should not be unwise to spend around $10,000 to make the building reasonably safe, and to help it survive throughout that decade. Eventually, however, the spread of pupil popu- lation toward the northwest in the area served by this school and the abandonment of the Lowell Street School, will necessitate the location of
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a new school replacing the Highland and Lowell Street Schools to the northwest, nearer the center of area to be served; it should be placed on a site of ample acreage to meet the needs of the school.
The Pearl Street School-Little can be or need be said in criticism of this building, for it is evident that it will remain as one of the permanent units in a complete school plant. Erected in 1939 of fire-resistive ma- terial, on a site that can be extended and developed to meet all the requirements of a good school site, and designed in good taste, the Pearl Street building can, with some future alterations and with the addi- tion of a gymnasium, meet all the requirements of a high-grade ele- mentary school. Since this building now has the most to offer in the way of satisfactory facilities, only minor improvements need be scheduled for immediate consideration.
The chief criticism that may be made of this building is the exorbi- tant amount of unnecessary waste space in the basement. Contrary to much popular opinion, this is NOT cheap space, for the amount of use that can be made of it does not warrant its construction. Sunlight and clean air are cheap but valuable factors in the development of healthy, happy children, and these cannot be obtained in cavernous school rooms built six or eight feet below the ground. It is doubtful if there is ever any legitimate excuse for building any part of a school building below grade except the boiler and fuelrooms, and possibly some janitorial service and storage rooms.
The evaluation of the elementary buildings may be summarized as follows :
The Chestnut Hill, Lowell Street, and Prospect buildings lack virtu- ally all the characteristics that make for safety, utility, economy, and beauty, and should be replaced immediately in a plan of reorganization of the elementary schools of the district.
The Highland School, tho lacking many of the characteristics of a good 'elementary building, can, because of its size and location, be made to serve the district for several years, or until deterioration of the build- ing and growth of population make it unwise to keep the building longer. Studied improvements should be made for temporary continuance, but vigorous steps must be taken to see that the building is as safe as it can reasonably be made.
The Pearl Street School is an excellent building. Future improve- ments should be planned for overcoming certain shortcomings, such as lack of indoor physical education facilities and ample playgrounds, but these may be postponed until more immediate needs of the district are met.
The Walter S. Parker Junior High School-This building, con- structed in 1926-27 of durable and fire-resistive materials, and planned functionally to house a modern program for junior high school youth,
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is one of two buildings in the entire school plant that should be retained as a permanent unit. This building and the Pearl Street elementary build- ing must of necessity constitute the core of any plan of school plant ex- pansion. Because of this fact these buildings will influence the plan to a considerable degree, but great care must be taken that they do not dominate the plan to the extent that the over-all educational program may suffer.
The special rooms in the Junior High School provide space for three shop teachers, two homemaking teachers, two science teachers, one art teacher, and one librarian. If sufficient additional space is assigned to laboratory work in social studies and to music, and some space retained for a 9th grade study group, the maximum functional capacity of the building is approximately 640. This is based on the assumption that the non-special recitation groups, such as those in English, foreign languages, or mathematics, do not exceed 30 pupils per group.
The features of this building that may be criticized with fairness, and which should be marked for improvement in the over-all planning program, are the auditorium, the gymnasium, the art room, and possibly the library. Specific details of suggested improvements will be discussed in that part of the report in which a long-range planning program is developed.
The Senior High School-This building constitutes one of the real problems in the over-all school plant situation in Reading. The problem is difficult not only because, in terms of modern educational practices and building st ndards the building is inadequate, outmoded, and im- possible of satisfactory expansion ; but also because so many sincere and earnest citizens who have secured their high school education within the walls of this building, and who, as laymen, have not been able to keep pace with the changing trends in secondary education, cannot see what can be wrong with it that a little repair and remodeling, with perhaps a small addition or two, won't cure.
Before any major alterations or additions could be made to this building it would be at least forty years old. It is of the typical brick and frame construction of its day, and in terms of safety, just as safe as this type of construction will permit. Conditions here are similar to those in the Highland School. The heating and ventilation are below standard, and the artificial light is exceedingly poor. The toilet system is very bad, and the general design and condition of the building are such as to make the problem of cleanliness difficult.
Unfortunately a description of this building in terms of structural materials can in no sense serve as an evaluation of the building in terms of the educational needs of the district. Considering the age of the pupils housed therein and their ability to take care of themselves in an emergency, it is doubtful if lack of safety could be advanced as a reason for constructing a new high school. Nor could lack of aesthetic qualities
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be used for such a purpose, although in its present condition, the building is certainly about as colorless, drab, and unimpressive as it could possibly be. But in terms of utility, this building is completely lacking in many of the features and facilities that are absolutely essential to a good secondary school program of education. And the design and room arrangement make it almost prohibitive in cost to obtain some of these facilities in this structure, while the location and restricted site make it impossible to obtain others. The facilities referred to include an audi- torium for school and community purposes, a gymnasium, and possibly an indoor swimming pool adequate to insure a program of health and physical well-being for all the children of the school, shower and locker facilities, an adequate cafeteria, a social studies laboratory, an art room commensurate with the excellent art work now being done in the school, a music studio, and a site of 20 to 40 acres that will permit the organ- ization and administration of a program of outdoor physical education and recreation, paying dividends immeasurable in terms of money. This listing is not all-inclusive, but even so, it may seem to some like the dream of an irresponsible idealist. But these facilities can be found today in thousands of modern high school buildings throughout the land, in communities where the wealth per capita is no greater than in Read- ing, but where the vision is far-reaching and the ideals for youth develop- ment are high. In terms of human values, there is a real practical demand for such a school in Reading.
The evaluation of the high school buildings may be summarized briefly as follows :
The Junior High School is modern in design and construction, can accommodate adequately between 600 and 650 junior high school pupils, and must be kept in the school plant for that purpose. Some improve- ments are desirable, which may be postponed without serious results.
The Senior High School has become completely outmoded by the changing practices and requirements in secondary education, and is in such a restricted location that the building should be abandoned and replaced on a new site with a completely modern secondary school plant.
The School Plant Planning Program
With the hope that the final recommendations presented in this report may appeal to the reader as the outgrowth of a logical and orderly
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study of the school plant needs of the town of Reading, the complete long-range planning program is developed through a series of four major problems. These are (1) determining the educational job to be done, (2) outlining a complete school plant necessary for that job, (3) determining the best use to be made of existing plant facilities, and (4) setting up a schedule for the orderly development of the school plant, considering both the structural and financial aspects. Each prob- lem is presented as a series of questions, the answers to which set forth both the recommendations for school plant planning and the reasons back of these recommendations. Each problem is outlined as follows : Problem 1 .- Determining the educational job to be done.
Question 1.1-How many children will need to be housed and educated over a given period of time ?
1.2-Where will the children live within the district?
" 1.3-How will the children be grouped as to grade organization ?
1.4-What subjects will be taught, and what activities carried on?
1.5-What teaching method that may affect the school planning will be used?
Problem 2 .- Outlining a complete school plant necessary for the educational job.
Question 2.1-How many school buildings will be needed?
2.2-Where should they be located?
2.3-What grades should each building house ?
2.4-What pupil capacity should each building have ?
Problem 3 .- Determining the best use to be made of the existing school plant facilities.
Question 3.1-What buildings should be abandoned immediately ? 3.2-What buildings should be conditioned for limited use ?
3.3-What buildings should be retained as part of the permanent school plant?
3.4-What major alterations and expansion should be made on existing buildings and sites ?
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