Allocating
Space at a School
Although some schools have physical space available for offering on-site health and social services, other schools are so overcrowded that they lack even adequate space for instruction. Dryfoos (1994) notes the difficulty in allocating space for school-linked services:
"Though the idea of having a clinic or a center in a school may be very attractive, not all schools have adequate space for such a venture.... Some schools are so run-down and overcrowded that it is difficult to provide services that are confidential and professional." (pp. 156-157)
She suggests that schools should be resourceful in reallocating space:
"All kinds of settings are being used for school-based programs--prefabs and trailers attached to school buildings, former sewing rooms, food service classrooms, old storerooms, and in one school, three former math classes." (p. 157).
When school space is allocated for school-linked services, other issues must be considered: security, maintenance, and hours of access. Dryfoos (1994) explains:
"Increasingly, school-based programs are designed to be open from early in the morning until evening, on weekends, and during summers. This is quite a change from a school system that is accustomed to shutting down the building in the midafternoon. Paying guards and groundspeople can be a costly add-on for new programs, especially in schools that are less than enthusiastic about allowing the building to be used by community agencies." (pp. 157-158)
