Evening journal., 1912-06-04
DISCUSS
RURAL SCHOOL
BETTERMENTS
Prof. Twitmyer and Prof.
Spaid Talk to GraHgerS
on the Topic
SPEAKERS FAVOR
DISTRICT CONSOLIDATION

Every seat was taken at last nights
h Sopen meeting Of Delaware Grange at
Newport, and SO great was the inter-
est in county school matters, that
many questions were asked and the
meeting continued until IL o'clock
Superintendent George W. Twit-
myer spoke of plans OF the State
HBoard of Education with regard to
county schools, and talked of the adj
vantages Of the suggested college for
4 women affiliated with Delaware Col
Nlege at Newark.
Consolidation Of districts in the
free schools of the county. an agricui-
#tural high school. improvements in
&5chool sanitation in the county, and
#the need for a better compulsory at
81 tendance law. we're the chief matters
q discussed by superintendent A. r.
#Spaid of the New Castle County
schools. who used a large map to IL
Il Illustrate his points. Professor Spaid
7emphasized the fact that consolida-
@tion is not done by the county COM
& '3nissioners, but a two-thirds majority
s soi the voters must favor It, and then
Joint meeting of both districts must
/. .approve the action taken by the sep
arate districts. He said it was not the
wish OF the county commissioners to
+ compel consolidation, even had they
had The power but the suggestions
were made in hope that the people
S. would see the advantages consolida-
a. - .s.,rt-
communities. AS an argument in rits
81 avor, he instanced the consolidation
8of districts 21 and 70 into the DUPONT
81 chool. They had two teachers each
40 the time, in 1894. Now the number
doubled. one of the two public
kindergartens in the county is estab-
ished there a high school has been
4 added, and special teachers teach mu-
pic and sewing.
One objection made to consolida-
ion, he said was that shown in the
Ease of Franklin. which would like
% consolidate with Delaware City. Il
8 his is done Franklin VIII lose its
state dividend labout s195 next year.
# State dividends are given according
the number of teachers.
A chief need OF reform. stated b,
prof. Spaid, is that land assessed fol
school purposes should be assessed
on the land value instead of on the
rental value. as is done pow.
Professor Spaid urged the grangl
to appoint a committee to investi
gate the agricultural high schools il
81 lother states, and said that il was
mistake 70 say Delaware College tool
the place of such a school because thu
colleee was not for children. He salt
such school would not be compul
sory. but for those pupils desiring tn
course
Professor Spaid said he wished
known that the county commissioner
have the power and intend to enforc
(. at once improved sanitary arrange
ments in the county schools. He sal
lf It we're necessary. he would fore
the issue and go TO the mothers. TIL
mothers present last night stood b
Prof. spaid's position in this matte
< very strongly.
Prof. Spaid said that a compulsor
school law should be effective f-oi
the opening to the close OF school. a
n Is now not more than FIVE month
can he made compulsory, and this ma
be reduced to three or four. and wa
so reduced by twenty-five count
schools last wear. These school
made the mid-winter months, whe
the weather and road conditions wei
81 worst the compulsory time. and
course the law could not be enforce
Also. he said the Trustees Of the Poe
should have the power to furnish II
truant officer with orders for sho'
and clothes for children whose pa
ents could not dress them we'll enoue
for school Another need was
trusnt school Prof Spaid said
thought it wrong TO have to send chi
dren TO an industrial school. whe
more serious Juvenile offenders we
Fen+ when their only crime was a di
Iu-o for going to school. The ~
IS mile limit he also found bad fea
ure Of the present law.