Need for New Facilities
- - - As Printed in
1951
Neared Critical Stage in '51
SHORTAGE OF CLASSROOM SPACE
is becoming a serious problem in
Schenectady's public schools with
classes in some buildings meeting in
basements and auditoriums.
Continuance of high birth rates and
erection of numerous housing
projects here since the war are
producing a rapid growth in
elementary school enrollment.
The impact of new housing if
particularly in the Yates, Woodlawn
and Lincoln districts. In the
last school year the Yates building
ha d peak full-time enrollment of
356 and estimates of future
enrollment indicate the school will
need accommodations for almost twice
that many by 1956. The school
can adequately accommodate 360
full-time pupils (kindergarten
children attend only half a day.)
Rising enrollment in the school stem
principally from the completion of
the Yates Village public housing
project. The development
contains 310 family units and many
of the occupants are young couples
with children. Bond issues
have been authorized for
construction of new elementary
schools in the Grout Park area off
Watt St. and in north Woodlawn.
The former would fill an immediate
need for relief in the Lincoln
school district where the present
school is no longer able to serve
the district's increasing numbers of
elementary youngsters. The
present Woodlawn school, on the
southeast side of Schenectady, is
situated in an area which has seen
more postwar home construction than
any other in the city.
Among other proposed projects is
construction of a new high school -
first discussed 18 year ago.
New elementary schools and additions
are needed to relieve overcrowding
which has made it necessary in
several buildings to convert
basement rooms and other
sub-standard areas into classroom
space. a new high school is
needed for different reasons.
It would replace the present Nott
Terrace and Vocational high
schools and provide facilities not
now available at either. The
building of elementary schools in
Woodlawn and Grout park will
represent the first new school
construction since Mont Pleasant
High School was completed in 1931.
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