The Concept

 

Reprinted From Information Distributed At The School’s Dedication

 

WILLIAM FLEMING HIGH SCHOOL

Roanoke, Virginia

 

THE SCHOOL WITHIN A SCHOOL

 

The goal of education in Roanoke is to provide the best possible education for all

the city’s children. To facilitate this goal, Roanoke has completed two new high schools.

These new schools, different from Roanoke’s present high schools, both in design and in

concept, have followed the plan described as the school-within-a-school. The notable

feature is that it combines into one working unit the advantages of the large school with

those of the small school.

 

The “school-within-a-school” concept is, in reality, a new approach to the age-old

problem of the individualization of instruction.

 

This large high school consists of three individual schools, each with its own

faculty, administrative unit, and classrooms. Upon his entry into high school, each

student is assigned to one of these school units (Camper Hall, Hart Hall, or Smith Hall)

and this unit is his “home base” throughout his high school career. This plan enables the

student to take most of his subjects in the small school with the same group of teachers

and with the same group of students. When necessary, however, the student attends a

class in a unit other than his own; for many of his subjects such as physical education,

shop, and home economics are taught in a unit set up for teaching those subjects requiring

special facilities.

 

The high school accommodates twelve hundred students with each of the three

small schools accommodating four hundred students. A principal is in charge of the

entire school. Working with him are three deans, one for each of the academic units.

Also working with the principal is a manager of student activities. These five people,

working with the teachers, furnish educational leadership for the total school.

This plan seeks to retain the pupil-teacher, teacher-teacher, teacher-principal,

pupil-principal, and parent-teacher relationships of the small schools and, at the same

time, to bring together on one site enough pupils to justify the educational facilities for a

comprehensive educational program. William Fleming High School is planned and

organized to do just that.

 

 

Reprinted From Information Distributed At The School’s Dedication

 

WILLIAM FLEMING HIGH SCHOOL

Roanoke, Virginia

 

 

ARCHITECTS

Hayes, Seay, Mattern & Mattern

Caudill, Rowlett & Scott

 

 

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

J.M. Turner Company, Incorporated

 

 

Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1200 Students

 

Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Acres

 

Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128,133 Sq. Ft.

 

Total Cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,602,800.00

 

Cost Per Sq. Ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12.50