LOUNDSBURY, J. L. Units of Cost and Their Application. American School Board Journal, 68:63-65, June, 1924.

MCDERMOTT, C. Present and Future Cost of School Buildings. American School Board Journal, 60:38-39, June, 1920.

NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION. Report of Committee on School House Planning. National Education Association, Washington, D. C., 1925. SEARS, J. B. School Finance Problems-How Solved. American School Board Journal, 69:49, 132, December, 1924.

Some Data on the Cost of School Housing. American School Board Journal, 68:42-44, June, 1924.

SPAIN, C. L. A Study of Comparative Costs of Platoon System and Old Type of School Building. American School Board Journal, 59:48-49, 103, Novem

ber, 1919.

WOOLDRIDGE, C. L. Standardizing School Building Measurements. American School Board Journal, 55:18, 85–86, July, 1917.

PROBLEM 101

SCHOOL COSTS AND THE SIZE OF SCHOOL
BUILDINGS

Problem: In Walden, N. K., the school building program requires the beginning of a new elementary school building because of overcrowding in other districts. The superintendent has recommended the building of the first unit of this school to contain ten classrooms. Opposition has developed to this plan.

The opponents of the plan contend that it is expensive and will raise taxes unnecessarily. There are other factors involved in the opposition but apparently the question will be decided on the basis of costs. The case is put in these terms: "A school of 400 pupils costs more per capita than a 600-pupil school, both in capital outlay and in administrative and teaching costs."

Assignment

1. Assemble data which have bearing upon the cost of building and maintaining schools of various sizes.

2. At what enrollments do decreases in costs cease to occur with respect to: original outlay; heating; janitorial service; principal's salary; teachers' salaries?

3. What evidence exists with respect to the optimum size of an elementary school from the viewpoint of educational returns to be secured?

4. What is the relationship between the extra-curricular offerings and the numbers found in the enrollments?

5. Are there reasons why teachers should prefer to work in schools of 400 as contrasted with schools of 600 or 1,000 children?

6. As superintendent of schools, what should your attitude be on this question?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

NANNINGA, S. P. Costs and Offerings of California High Schools in Relation to Size. University of California, 1925.

STRAYER, G. D., ENGELHARDT, N. L. et al. Report of the Survey of Certain Aspects of the Public School System of Providence, R. I., 1923-24. Division of Field Studies, Institute of Educational Research, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1924.

Report of the Survey of the Schools of Watertown, N. Y., 1924-25. Division of Field Studies, Institute of Educational Research, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1925.

Survey Report of the Public School System of Springfield, Mass, 1923– 24. Division of Field Studies, Institute of Educational Research, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1924.

PROBLEM 102

DETERMINING THE COST OF PROVIDING THE NEEDED BUILDINGS FOR THE SCHOOLS

OF CANOVIA, N. K.

Problem: It is necessary for the Board of Education of Canovia, N. K., to decide upon the amount of a bond issue which must be voted by the people of the city to provide additional building facilities. The superintendent is asked to furnish the Board with the needed information. It is the year 1922.

The superintendent of schools gathers, through his research department, a fund of information concerning the total population and estimates of population, the school enrollment and census, the capacity and present use of the present school buildings. In addition to this, the buildings are scored on

TABLE 1

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION AND ESTIMATED GROWTH BY YEARS, CANOVIA, N. K.

the Strayer-Engelhardt Score Card.1 The research department has estimated the growth of population and the probable number of pupils that must be cared for in 1928, 1934, and 1945.

The predicted growth of population, estimated by years and by wards, is shown in Tables 1 and 2. Table 3 lists the births in Canovia from 1916 to 1922.

TABLE 2

ESTIMATED POPULATION GROWTH BY WARDS, CANOVIA, N. K.

1 Published by Bureau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia University.