Evening journal., 1913-09-09
CITY TEACHES
AT LOSS, SAYS
SCHOOL BOARD
Members Say On-ReSidentS'
Payments to City Do Not
Cover Tuition Cost
QUOTE FIGURES In
REPLY TO CRITICISM

The Board of Education INDUCED
in an extremely lively session. lasting
nearly two hours. last evening, when
a number of important matters we're
discussed. Most of the vim was in
iected into the meeting by DR.. T. o.
Cooper member from the Fourth ward
who, in addition to his controversy
with the delegation of W. c. 7. u.
members, brought up the matter Of
the complaint made by some per-
sons regarding the action of the
board in requiring all nonresident
pupils to deposit the sum Of 500 be-
fore they enter the Wilmington
schools.
DR.. Cooper referred TO an article
written by a person who signed him
self a resident CT Brandywine hun
dred, in which the writer criticized
the board for this action.
Some years ago, Dr. Cooper ex-
planned it was decided to charge all
nonresident pupils of the High School
$40 per term for tuition. That was
all right at that time, he declared,
but that sum is insufficient today. He
quoted from reports to show that 1t
cost the board S43,1347S for mainte-
A1INI VI AAAt WAilIlUENON IIlE0 0EWOOi
during the past year He stated that
about 1000 pupils attended school
during this time. which made an aver
age of over S43 for each person. The
state allows 90 cents per day for the
nonresident pupils. which means that
u would require them TO attend for
200 days TO make the sum of $40
Last year." he said 1--WE only got
$50 a head for these pupils. so we
lost en- the proposition"
Llr. Cooper remarked that the
whole trouble seemed to be in the
tact that the Board of Education
charged in advance, but he held that
this was perfectly right because the
board was required to make a report
or statement to the State Treasurer
al the end of the year as to the num-
Der OF nonresident pupils and also
the number of days they had attend
ed, which meant that the board would
nave to wait a whole year for settle
ment. And as they were only allow
ed 20 cent per day for the DAYS they
attended school, therefore if they
should stay away many days The
board would lose that much. DR.
cooper told how the bill was passed
oy the legislature allowing 20 cents
per day for the non residents. He
declared that prior to the passage of
TINS bill the parents Of nonresident
pupils we're required to pay the en-
tire tuition sum out of their own
pockets, and he did not think they
should complain now about paying in
ADVANCE when the Board would re-
Iund part of II in time. "If il wasn't
for that bill they would have to pav
all of it" he reaffirmed.
He quoted from the report to show
that the board was not making any
money on the nonresident pupils
but on the contrary we're losing over
50 on each one. Il would favor the
debarring of all nonresident pupils
if that is the way we come out in the
end, but l hate to deprive a child Of
better educational advantages. he
declared He commended the news
papers for the stand they have taken
in the matter.
During his remarks DR.. Cooper
stated that last year money was re-
ceiyed from the state for only 90
pupils, while there were attending
the High School 1876 non-residepts
superintendent Twitmyer calculated
'he loss to the city TO be about $3.50.
Dr. Cooper stated that the man who
wrote the article from Brandvwine hun
drel had never paid a cent of State
school taxes. as there was no such tax.
The revenue the State gets for schools
Is from business licenses and invest
ments. This man has never paid a dol
lar into the State school fund. so what
kick has he got coming as to what the
board should do in the case of non-resi-
dents,' exclaimed the speaker. He men,
toned several investments from which
.he state school fund derived revenue.
Thomas +. O'Donnell sided with DR..
aper in the matter. He declared that
president pupils should not be ad-
ted if they interfered with the resi-
pupils. "Some time ago | opposed
resident pupils coming into the
hools. and ! am ready to oppose it
-ain, if necessary" he remarked.
President Baynard declared that at
tie time the State fixed $40 as the sum
for the tuition of nonresident pupils
hat sum was sufficient. but the cost of