HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 1959.10.05 - 19172REPORT ON SCHOOL FACILITIES
OAKLAND COUNTY CHILDREN'S CENTER
The Juvenile Affairs Committee met at the Oakland County Children's Center
on Thursday, September 24, 1959, and our school problems were discussed at length,
particularly the need for additional classrooms. Present at the meeting were Mr. James
W. Hunt, Director of Children's Services, Dr. William Emerson, Oakland County
Superintendent of Schools, and members of the Children's Center administrative staff.
Three general topics were discussed:
1. School Program
20 Recommendations of Dr. Friedland in a report of January of 1957
concerning the need for better school facilities
3. Survey completed by the Board of Education on Court school
facilities.
The school program in the Court operated buildings is operated under the direction
of the Waterford Township School District and is supported entirely through State aid and
Oakland County funds. The Township provides the teaching staff and necessary equipment
and Oakland County is billed annually for the difference between State aid received and
the actual cost of operating the program. 1.1 l. 1, a total of $53,847.09 was the cost of
operating the school program. Of this amount, $36,171.21 was paid by Oakland County.
There are eleven classrooms operating in the Court school program; seven at the
Children's Center and four at the Youth Home. A principal and eleven teachers are
supplied by the Township. The classrooms at the Youth Home are adequate and the class
loads are held to a maximum of twenty pupils per room. No problems are anticipated
for the next few years at the Youth Home, The Children's Center has one adequate class-
room and six make-shift rooms. The six make-shift rooms were provided by converting
living and sleeping space into school rooms. These rooms are poorly ventilated and
entirely too small for the number of children using them during our peak periods. At
times it is necessary to provide education for as many as forty-seven children in these
small, inadequate rooms. This condition has existed for some time, and with the increased
population in Oakland County will become more acute.
In January of 1957, Dr. Friedland reported on a study made at the request of the
Board of Supervisors. Dr. Friedland reported that the school facilities were inadequate
and recommended that serious consideration be given to the construction of a new school
building.
Judge Arthur E. Moore and members of his staff have long recognized that the school
facilities are inadequate to properly train and educate children in our custody. In the fall
of 1958, Dr. William Emerson was requested to make a study of the school facilities and
education program of the Court.
2
Dr. Emerson gave his wholehearted support to this survey and assigned members
of his staff to study the problem. As a result of their several weeks of study by the survey
team, Dr. Emerson made the following observations and recommendations in a report of
December 8, 058.
Observations:
i Duri1?5,':.7, school enrollment in the Court facility ranged from a low
of e:.:,Try-nine in October to a high of 243 in April.
2. Waterford Township was providing teachers and educational services on
a level equal to those provided for residents of the Township.
The nature of the school population in Court facilities is substantially
different from the general school population found in other schools.
It is comprised almost entirely of educationally deprived children.
School materiais and the bulk of instruction are made available in a
manner acceptable to average children but does not take i.Jo account
the nature of the school population, which is not all fit the
Children's Center.
4. Examination of the records, both at the Children's Center and Youth
Home, indicate a substantial scholastic retardation in all grades,
There is firm evidence also that the children are scholastically
deprived and mentally deficient.
Recommendations;
10 It is recommended in the long run, that emphasis be placed upon
individualized instruction geared to the needs of educationally
deprived children;
2. That all children taken into the school program have thorough
psychological and educational testing prior to their placement
in the school room. Additional educational psychologists are
necessary to provide this service;..
3. That the program of instruction of all levels be expanded to include
all basic aspects of manual and domestic arts;
4. That adequate classrooms be provided, preferably in a building
separated from residential facilities; and
5. That the Youth Home and Children's Center school programs be
brought together under one roof to increase efficient use of
facilities, faculty, arid supplies.
The Committee recognized the urgent need for classroom space large enough to
handle the anticipated population at the Children's Center. No additional space is
available to convert into a classroom at the present building. The possibility of using
the Contagious Hospital as a temporary school building was discussed by the Committee,
and it was agreed that the Committee will give further study to this suggestion. A
resolution will be presented to the Board at a later date with recommendations from
the Juvenile Affairs Committee.
Respectfully submitted,
(Mrs.) Hele:i Carman
Juvenile Affairs Committee