Evening journal., 1917-12-24
BUILD BIC SCHOOLS
F0BFOWDER VILLAGES
Growth in Population Re-
quires More Adequate
Educational Facilities
HARD TO KEEP
TIE PACE UP

CARNEY'S POINT, y. J., Dec. 2i.-The
influx Of the powdermakers and theiI
families here and the neighborlng new
villages has had the effect Of completely
revoluiionlzlng the school system in
Upper Penn's Neck township to provide
FOR the army Of children who have
come TO new homes in these villages.
In territory embracing Carney's Point.
Pennsgrove, and Pennsville, the places
most affected by the powder boom,
there are now more than 5000 children
OF school age. New school buildings,
some Of them quite extensive, have
been built in these districts during the
past year. but accommodations for the
pupils arc siill severely taxed because
Of orercrowding Indications are that
stlll more schools will have TO be
erected during the coming year.
The most striking illustration OF the
rapid changes In schools that have been
wrought by the wave of industry which
has so thickiy peopled what three years
ago was an expanse Of fields and farms
Is found here at Carney's Point ON the
same site where the old, one-room Of
Cove schoolhouse stood in 1914, there
has been erected and opened during
the present term a beautiful new brick
building This structure, known as the
Lafayette School, cost $4,000, and is
modern in every detail 10 contains
eight large class rooms and two smaller
ones Three years ago the enrolment
of pupils in the Cove school district
was 20; now it has passed the 1000
mark.
In addition TO the Lafayette School
there are two other new buildings Of
frame, erected to provide quick ac-
commodations for the rush of new
pupils. while a number of rooms in
bungalows are also used for overflow
classes.
About a year ago Pennsgrove opened
a large new high school building. Mem
hers of the Board Of Education of that
town thought that they had planned
the building large enough TO take care
of the normal increase in enrolment
for several years TO come. High school
pupils from the powder villages are
now being sent TO the PennsgroNe
school, however, and the new buildings
and the old are already overcrowded.
A garage opposite the school has been
equipped with desks and heat and used
for overflow classes of children in tho
lower grades.
IN a report just made to the Penns-
grove Board Of Education, Supervising
Principal Merritt jenkins stated that
i.i3i pupils had been enrolled during
the present term, with an average at
tendance last month Of 963 Tho
p-snsgrove schools have a stan Of 20
teachers, which makes am average Of
more than 80 pupils to each teacher
At Pennsville In Lower PENIS Neck
township. where the powder villages
are also spreading, another new school
house was opened this month. School
officials there expect that the accom-
modations will be sufficient for at least
the rest Of the school year, but the
building Of the extensive new dye works
by the duPonts near that point will
bring in thousands Of more workers
and more room viii probably be needed
next year.
Both Carneys Point and Pennsgrove
have wlde-awake and busy parent
teacher associations. Mothers Of the
school children are members Of these
organizations and they are working
energetically 10 help solve the numer-
Gus educational problems presented by
the growing populations In these dis
iricts