Culver Schools 1940 - 1949  

1946 - Jan - 30 - Grade School Building Condemened by State for Use After Present Term.

Steel Girders and Posts Placed Under Sagging Second Story Floors

Union township's grade school! building. which stands adjacent to the high school, has been condemned by the Indiana State Fire Marshal with orders that the structure be not used after the close of the present school term in May.

Local school officials were both surprised and dismayed when they received the official order. It was almost a certainty before a new grade school building was, proposed in 1938 (the project was killed by a 2 to 1 vote of the advisory board that was in office then) that such an order would be issued within a short time, but with the start of the war and with the present scarcity of building materials it was taken for granted that the building would not be condemned until building conditions permitted such construction work.

The local officials are dismayed about the condemnation as they know they can't construct a new grade building by next September and wonder where they can hold school next fall. It is a perplexing problem and the educators are studying all angles to find at least a temporary solution.

The state fire marshal also ordered that an engineer be employed to study the safety of the building for present use. This order was prompted by the large cracks between the floors and the walls in the rooms on the upper floors.

The engineer recommended that the floors in the two west rooms on the second floor be supported at once by steel beams and posts. This was done last week.

The engineer also specified that if the building was used beyond the present school term that the same type of supports be given the floors in the two east rooms.

School officials point out that since the specifications of the engineer have been promptly carried out that there is no reason for parents with children in the grades to be unduly alarmed over the safety of their youngsters as far as the danger of the building collapsing is concerned.

Of course, there is no denying of the fire marshal's claim that the building is a fire hazard, but every precaution is being taken to keep this at a minimum.