Evening journal., 1915-01-21
School BOARD ASKS.
Increased funds
Colonel Slower Scores the
Body and Causes Lively
Tits
MATTER is ALLOWED
TO GO OVER FOR WEEK

made some time ago members or thtt b
body conferred with City Council. sit
ting as a committee of the whole. last
night. The object Of the gathering was
60 have Council approve a proposed
amendment to the law allowing the
Council to appropriate whatever sum
they saw nj TO the board The hearing
was cnlvened 10y tilts between the
members of Council and the board and
Colonel Weller v. Stcver, chairman OF
tho finance committee of Council. raped
The Board OF Education, saying that the
lack Of confidence reposod in il by the
citizens was due to the methods of the
hoard in not Keeping books or bank
books. Councilman Stover also chal-
lenged the board to show how much they
needed to complete the current fiscal
year or how much money was outstand-
ing against the board in bills due
Colonel Stoyer related how he had at
tended a meeting of twelve representa-
tives # well-known book manufac-
turers and they all agreed that they
could not get "a book into the schools
unless il was from a certain book com
panv.
After nearly every member present
had spoken on the subject il was de-
cided to lay the matter over until
next Wednesday night, when the
Councilmen will again consider it.
Last nights session was brought
about through the board requesting
the conference with Council some
weeks ago. President Baynard out
lined the work OF the school board
and the various acts and amendments
under which it works.
He said Wilmington is indebted to
the parochial schools for caring for
about 25 per cent. of the children free
of all cost to the city. but the city
has TO take care of the other 20 per
cent
He said the board has tried 10 pro-
vide all the necessities at a minimum
cost, and no one could accomplish
more than they have on the money
/ they had at their disposal. He then
went into detail as to the needs OF
many Of the schools in the way of re-
pairs and up-keep and the conditions
as revealed by him showed that the
public schools of Wilmington as a
whole are in extremely bad shape and
! far from what they should be- He
showed how the board is handicapped
in its work because of the lack OF
cash and told of the things they can
not do on this account and the things
they had to eliminate because OF II.
Mr.. Baynard said all the board Is
asking for is that Council give its ap-
proval TO measure 10 remove the limi'
tation now placed upon the boards an
nual appropriation, so that Counci
could then grant the board what i
deems fit in the way of money every
year
George c. Rommel. member OF III
board. then spoke of the Improvement
needed to The present sanitary condi
tions of the schools, which would cost
about Sl4.375 and DR.. T. o. Cooper SPOKE
of the needs of the additional funds fol
teachers and principals salaries.
Some Needs Explained.
superintendent of Schools Scot
/ gave facts and figures showing how
poorly the Wilmington schools com
/, pare with the schools in other citie
of the country. in almost every in
stance the local schools being far be
[ low those of any other city. He tolC
of the increasing demand for NOR
e teachers in the schools. especially th'
% High School. the need of more de
partments and what department
B. should be added and the demand TO
. room at the High School to accommo
date the rapidly increasing enroll
ment. which he showed will increas
by about 600 students in the next tw,
years
Mr.. zebley of the board, gave
. description of the proposed addition
to the High School. saying the esti
mated cost would be about S150000.
Councilman Stover said the subjec
is one that requires much though
!, on the part of the members. X
saiG he never knew conditions II
the schools were as bad as had bee'
pictured by the speakers during tn
course of the meeting.
Mr. Baynard mentioned the severi
bond issues and appropriations the cit
has allowed without any objection an
e he wanted to know if these things wer
] going to be allowed while the school
T we're permitted TO TO starve
% DR.. Cooper said they have alwsy
e loft the question of the text books ]
] the schools up TO the superintendent
: ana lNe lolHti 1uPNA lhhDiiAtAb li1A iiN
S recommended any change when th
question was put to him year ago.
President White, of Council, explain
ed the building of School No. 80. whic
"A is in the Ninth ward, and said it wa
S something that had been demanded b
>. tho people of that section for good re;
J. sons. Mr. Stover spoke about its bein
a built on small lot which he agai
said was poor judgment.
Mr.. Stover said he was willing
: let the board have the maximum {
8 per cent. as provided in the lay
I but he did not think it wise 10 repei
| the limitation clause. He thought IL
city would be so fixed financially ne'
! year that il would not be necessaI
& TO 20 to Dover for relief at this Sc
4 sion of the Legislature.
Mr. Baynard declared that If u
limitation clause is not removed, Il
1 question of q new High School wi
! fall Immediately.
Harry J. Guthrie. secretary of Il
Board of Education, in refutation
the charges that the board has !
bank book and no system of bool
keeping explained in detail the cler
cal work of the department shown
that they do have a set of books al
monthly bank statements which a.
I practically the same as a bank boo
! Councilman Haney thought Il
board had made out a good case, al
he also thought Council would do q
il could 10 relieve the situation {
| his motion therefore IL vrae acre,