Evening journal., 1915-01-16
WOULD ABOLISH
THE School BOARD
w. H. S. Alumni FavOring
New Law, Says Body is
Relic of Past
FAVOR BODY OF
SEVEN MEMBERS

INNNl5tulcul' OF measure llONlulilE lA
for the abolition OF the Board Of Educa-
tion, as no constituted, and the ere 7
alton OF another body along entirely 1
different lines, which is to be preien- ed {
to the Legislature, was given at spe !
cial meeting OF the Wilmington Hlgl ,
School Alumni Association in the HOiel !
DUPONT last night.
The opinion was expressed that the {
present board is a relic OF the past and ,
that need of reform is apparent if cili
cheney is to be maintained in conduct /
ing the city's schools. The board con
sists of thirteen members, one from
each ward and one at large, and il ,he
Legislature enacts the proposed bill the
number will be reduced to seven who
will be chosen at large.
Unequal representation is the most
important objection the Alumni As
socation has to. the present board. II.
IC Mahaiiy Jr., president of the gradu-
ate body pointed out that in the Scy-
cnth ward ere located six schools. in
cluding the High School with total at
tendance of at least $500 pupils. while
in the First ward there is colorcd
school, the pupils of which number ~,
and vet each ward has the same num-
Der of representatives, ON the board.
The subject was brought up by Mr.
Mahaifv He remarked that the asso- 3
ciaticm had been criticised in the past
for lack of action. and he declared that
lit was time they were doing something /
lie said that there were several inn
iportant matters which had been brought
10 the attention of the association. and
the meeting had been called Tor the pur-
pose of considering and acting upon
Them. The most important of these.
subjects. the main object of the meet
ing he said, was the plan of changing
the present system of cecting the Board
of Education.
Mr.. MahafTy remarked that as there
has been much dissatisfaction over the
present educational system of the Board
of Education i'm this city, he Thought 1t
was the duty of the association to take
a hand i'm the matter lie stated that a
man had been suggested for a change m
the manncG of electing the board, which
The believed was the hest solution of the
I idirfculty. He then called upon Armon
: d. Chavtor. Jr. member Of the execu-
= tive committee. to explain this plan.
A Mr.. Chaytor stated that when the
4 subject came up before the commit
l. tee. the method of electing the mem
G bers of the Board of Education, one
n member from each ward, had been
n criticized. He explained that since
d this plan of electing the members was
n adopted there has been a great
e change in the conditions of the city.
l. When the method was first placed
J. into effect. the First ward was con-
j. gested with inhabitants while the
n outlying wards were thinly populated
al Now. however. many of the former
t. residents of the First ward have NOV
i ed out into the outlying wards, and
l. they have rapidly built up. While
le there has been a change of condi-
ly tions, there has been no change in the
le law he stated, and while there is &
h great difference in the size of the
le wards. yet each has one member o.
al the board. To illustrate the Unequal
ity of this he pointed out that there
IN are % election districts in the Sew
Tn enth ward and only three in the First
C. "Thc system is radically wrong" hl
or declared, "and now is the proper tim
he TO start to cure the system which /
TX now highly absurd"
u He suggested that they might adop
ca the Representative districts as tn
nc unit of representation on the boarC
Uul NlilAt AiNN MEIN dUOuA II Aut
10 might as well adopt the system tina
Oh is most efficient. and that is by elect
III ing the best man in the city, no mat
lat ter in what part of the city they re
ict side.
I'D As an illustration Mr.. Chaytor state
er- that should the three most desirab
ca. men in the city live in one ward und'
ne the present plan, only one could
ne elected and the city would lose the ben
TOT tit that would be derived by elccting a
lry three of them. He explained that II
oW plan proposed by the committee was
IN amend the charter Of the Board of Ed
lhe cation so that seven men should
'he elected from any part of the ci y to cor
ot prise the board, and they should Gle
10 their own presiding officer He belev
len that the members of the board shou
os- be men OF culture and broad sympathi,
NJ whose ambition should be to fill (
De office with honor and credit.
cy' Mr.. Chaytor stated that there wou
re- probably be some opposition TO {
ION plan, as the present board would like
ny oppose it and ON behalf of the exec
ia tive committee. he recommended th
ted the association should have a bill draN
OF containing ,he proposed amendment
the the charter of the board and send il
isc the Legislature.
'ate Warren Green favored the plan. n
re- road from an article in a Cincinni
.ors publication. based upon an Investigate
lhs, made bv the Associated Harvard Clu
INST of the method of election of schl
uer boards in all the iirst-class cities, I'm,
atlc the direction OF Charles Eliot OF III
tne ward. 10 the effect that large Board
ipiy Education. elected by wards is
gone method. aud that the ideal me
,,-. cd is small board to be elected at la
1ES in city rbi- is the system in VOC
lSha in Boston. which is noted as an edu
'oi tional city. Relative TO the quest
ana whether the members should be clcc
ana or appointed Mr. Green favored the e
tion, as this would keep tho schC
-e e.e closer to the people, who by voting
- the members would have a voice IN
lo'S' management of the board.
49, 80 John T. Neary favored the proposi
~ ny as a whole, and believed that poll
'''' should be entirely eliminated from
subject
Mr.. Mshalfy agreed that tho polii
question should be eliminated. and
'e'pa' pointed out that if the project has
:, 'o' backing of the Alumni Association
lO3Ol