Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-19


peryising principal of the Wildwood
schools:
Wildwood, n. J., Feb. 8, 1915.
To the Honorable City Commissioners,
City of Wildwood, n. J..
GENTLEMEN:
The movement to C more ade-
quate school facilities in the communi-
ties now included within the corporate
limits of the City of Wildwood, was
begun in the fall of 1912, and has been
discussed a great deal since.
The curious condition under which
the Board of Education was operating
for about two years, nlndered The TAX
ing of any active steps until the anom-
alous situation was reduced TO nor
NAL, and this occurred when the Board
of Education, appointed by the COM
mission, assumed direction of school
affairs.
This new board was prompt to see
the necessity for additional school facil-
tiles aud to act upon it. AS l under
stand 1t, the Board of School Estimate,
in accordance with the law, pamphlet
Laws 1918, chapter 252) has mel and
fixed and determined the amount
necessary for the furnishing of ade-
quate additional school facilities, and
delivered to your commission a certif-
cate to this effect. The commissions
sole responsibility, therefore, is to pro-
vide for the raising of money deter
mined upon. (See case of Montclair
against Baxter, Al Vroom So, and vol.l !,
New Jersey school report 1918, pages
226, 227, 22s, 229, 280, in "Board of
Education of the City of Lambertvilie,
against the Common Council of the
City Of Lambertville,n also pages 252.
258 aud 254, in "the Board of Educa-
ton, of the City of Bridgeton, VS.. the
Common Council of the City Of Bridge
tony
In the case of Wildwood, / have not
considered it necessary to condemn
buildings, in accordance with the law,
because / have felt quite sure that as
soon as the controversy over the APP
pointment of the Board of Education
was Strengthened out, proper action
would be taken. In the meantime,
however, considerable effort was made
to have the situation understood.
The following chronology shows
what the situation was:
1912
For a purpose Of a conference on the
subject of high school facilities, assis-
tant commissioner Meredith and my
self met with the Board of Education
during July, 1912. The idea then most
favored by the board, was the erection
sof a central high school.
/ was so thoroughly convinced by
conversations with members OF the
board and others interested, that
prompt action would be taken, that l
said in my report to the Commissioners
of Education. written July ], 1912,
ssthe new City Of Wildwood will take
up the question of the erection of a
central high school building, so a. to
have it in readiness for the school year
l9l8-1914.
State School Building Inspector Wis
tied Holly Beach school and in his
report stated:
"All of the class rooms in this build
ing are crowded far beyond the num-
Der allowed by law, aud it has been
found necessary to place classes in
every available space throughout the
building, Including rooms in the base
ment. This school district should pro-
coed without delay TO provide addi-
tionai school accommodations for the
number of pupils enrolled, and for
their rapidly increasing school popula-
ton. The two rooms in the basement
are entirely unsatisfactory for class
room purposes"
Under normal conditions, this report
would have caused the condemnation
of the building.
In response to inquiries from the
Slate department, l wrote to the Com
missioner of Education, August is,
1918, as follows: "Wildwood City is a
prosperous and rapidly growing resort,
and has rather a large school problem
for early solution, but it will be worked
out amicably and effectively in a rea-
sonable time. They have been some
what upset for two years past, by
change in the form of government,
etc"
1914
Sectional Teachers Institute to
which were invited by newspaper
notices, all the people of the city, par
ticularly members of boards of educa-
lion. the purpose being to state fully