The Penn's Grove record., 1913-05-09
BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING
Teachers Elected. New School Sites
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clpals Ofhce Ill tile school mouse. Inc
members present were Simon Cunning
ham, president; C. W. Cable, clerk; w.
P. Denny, j. U. Layton, j. W. Trum-
bull, L. E. Hunt.
The office was prettily decorated with
the manual training work in the lower
grades, so the members could see what
the children are doing in hand work and
for psychological effect.
The clerk reported he had received
5000 from U. P. Neck for the grade pu-
pills and $l967. 81 from the state railroad
tax. There was still due about $3.50 for
high school pupils in U. P. Neck and Old
MANS. The present balance was about
$500 with teachers and bills to be paid
the balance of the year.
Mr.. Denny reported that the Board
had submitted to the citizens a PROPOSE
ton to issue $50, 900 with which to erect a
school house. 1t was voted down and
he thought the board now relieved OF any
obligation as to the acceptance of plans
and the responsibility was out of their
hands.
ELECTED
Teachers were elected as follows: High
School, M. Alma Garrison, Maude Dav-
erin, Frances Sampsel; Grade teachers,
Lizzie J. Kidd, Anna F. Barber, Clara L.
Layton, Sarah Ayree, Edna Cline, Belle
Hewitt, Mabel Latting, Lois Fletcher.
All are present teachers reelected ex-
cept Miss Fletcher, of Woodbury., who is
now teaching Wiley school. Three va
cancies were deferred until the next
meeting, altho there were applicants.
PETITION PRESENTED
w. A. Summerill presented the follow
ing petition to the Board.
PETITION FOR LARGER SCHOOL
GROUNDS
We the subscribers, citizens of Penns Grove,
N. j., qualified to vote for public school ap-
preparations, do most respectfully petition the
honorable members of the Board of Education
Of the Borough of PENIS Grove, as follows:
WHEREAS the school population has grown
so rapidly the past few years that a new
school building is heeded. and
WHEREAS we believe the new building TO be
erected should not be put on the lot of six
tenths of an acre now Ow ned by the Borough
because it will not be large enough for school
expansion in the future for our increasing pop
ulatiOn and VIII cOngregate between 600 and
900 children at one center near a garage ON the
corners of two streets to the increa ling ell
dangerment of their lives because OF increas-
ing automobile travel therefore
We petition ana request that the honorable
Board of Education take legal action to pur-
chase and procure a larger tract of lana for
school purposes.
We recommend that w. A. Sacks land be
procured which lies between the extension of
State Street to Beach Avenue and the railroad
between the Simkins land and Beach Avenue,
so as to have ample ground for future years
and for a public play ground ard athletic
ground for the citizens.
We further pray that action be taken as
rapidly as possible SO that the school children
will not be hindered longer than possible for
lack OF ample facilities for the rapidly pro
crossing demands of Education.
A similar petition without the recon-
mendatlon as to site was also presented.
The first was signed by 1853 names and
the other by 10. Among the list were all
the ministers, doctors, president, cashier,
teller of the bank, four of tile five direc-
tors, nearly all OF the merchants, law
yers, hotel keeper, and other influential
citizens and several women.
The petition caused more than al
hours controversy as to what it all
meant.
Mr.. Denny thought the Board ought
not to recognize it because it contained a
site not available. He said Mr..
Sack would give no option on the land if
he was required to grade State Street ex-
tension and East Walnut Street extension
to State Street extension, that the Bor-
ough refused to accept such unless Mr..
Sack did the grading. He did not be-
lieve the bond issue was defeated .by per-
SONS who wished a larger site but by
those who did not believe bonds should
be issued. He voted for issuing the bonds
but did not believe in bonding the Bor.
ough.
Mr.. Layton said he thought that as the
people had voted down the bonding prop
osition and the responsibility had been
put Oh the people it was only a come
back OIL the Board to get busy and SUBJ
init as many sites to the choice of the
people as the Board saw fit. Because the
proposition was defeated did not relieve
the Board of the responsibility to provide
school facilities for the children.
Mr.. Keen offered a resolution that the
Board advertise for sites; that those who
had sites submit the location, dimensions
and price in sealed envelopes with a bill
OF sale as an assurance that they would
sign a deed with a clear title for the
amount the people voted, being similar
to the way the government selects sites.
No action was taken OH that.
MI. Summerill, the promoter of the Pc
tition, was asked what the petition as to
site meant. He stated that the petitioners
recommended a larger aud different site
than the ground now owned. The Sack
site was merely a recommendation that
some of the petitioners wished the privi-
lege Of voting for if the price was s~atisfac-
tory. He did not believe that all the
slgners on the petition with the recon-
mendation favored that site, while some
who signed without recommendation fa-
vored the site at a satisfactory price. The
Woodstown Board of Education favored a
a certain site and did not allow the citi-
zens to vote for a site the majority of cit
liens favored until the site the Board
favored had been voted down two or
three times. The Board might favor
other sites but most Of the petitioners