LAST BELL RINGING
FOR TINY SCHOOLS
Board of Regents Approves
the Modernization of All
Buildings by Mid-1956
SEALLED TO THE NEW YORK TIMES,
ALBANY, FEB. 28.—The Board
of Regents voted today to require
something little of schools
under regulations approved to-
day inst. By Sept. 1, 1956, all
one and two-room schools must
have at least two exits on
opposite sides of the building,
and must have fire-resist-
ing materials in all heating and
electrical systems. The new
regulations require that all such
buildings have a safe supply of
drinking water, and that water
dispensed through drinking
fountains be located in separate
washrooms for boys and girls.
921 Schools Surveyed
The results of a two-year-old
survey of 921 one and two-room
schools made by the division of
school buildings located outside
of central school districts,
showed that 327 of these schools
had no water supply on the
premises. Only 100 had outdoor
toilets. The others had indoor
privies for the most part. The
new regulations were adopted by
the Regents under the Education
Law which gives them the
power to establish minimum
standards for the health and
safety of school buildings. The
delay between the issuance of
their effective dates and the
deadline for their structural
alterations of their buildings be-
fore the deadline.
Can Order Fire Escapes
Besides requiring two means
of egress from each room, the
Commission of Education the
power to require the installation
of exterior stairways or automatic
fire alarm systems in buildings
of two rooms or more. The new
regulations affect very old
buildings. In recent years the
State Education Department has
been requiring more and more
structural improvements from
the protection of new build-
ings. The State will approve
plans for new build-
ings.
