Evening journal., 1917-01-06
SCHOOL BOARD OF
five members is
URGED FOR CITY
contlnued from Flrst Page.


poorest schools and the most ineiii- |
cient management are found today I'm /
the few cities which still retain the /
ward system. Cities in surrounding /
States whose school systems might /
have been classed with Wilmington's I
a number OF years ago when they had !
the ward system. are now noted for
their good schools under small /
board, elected at large When a board {
is elected at large, the board is di-
rectly responsible TO the whole peo-
pie; results have proved that the peO- I
pie who are interested In the schools
can obtain good candidates in this
way. who serve every section Of tho
city more justly than was poss' bic un'
der the ward system
On the question OF the size of the
board, Or. Deifenbaugh said
1.-THE whole tendency is toward the
small board. The numbers range
from five to nine, but the decided
preference is for FIVE. I was a super
intendent under both large boards and
small boards. In the large boards my
recommendations we're passed upon
by three or four influential men on
the board and the others were not
consulted. Therefore the people IN
chat city might Just as well have
had a board OF three or four members.
When / was superintendent under the
smaller boards. the members sat
around a table and discussed my
recommendations, and the whole
board and the people OF the town
knew what was going on, and could
/ tell whether they were satisfied or
not with the way the schools were
being managed. The trouble with the
large board Is that its work is done
| by committees and the judgment OF
the whole board Is not brought
to bear on the important questions,
and the people never know how deci-
SONS are arrived at The function or
the individual board member is not
TO settle matters Of small friction in
local districts. These matters should
| be settled by the superintendent, or
bv the board as q whole. The function
of the board of education IS 10 make
the plans for the development of the
schools as money and the desires OF
the community permit: to establish
tho policy OF expenditure 50 that every
dollar OF the peoples money brings its
full value I'm educational service; and
10 endorse or reject the recommend
ations OF the superintendent, accord
ling to the best judgment OF its mem
bers."
The vote OF the joint committee
was taken for the plan that In their
] opinion ought TO make II easiest for
the Board OF Education TO represent
the people, and do their best work
for the schools. The vote was un-
anlmous for five members to be elect
cd at large. Three Of the members
who could not be present at last
nights meeting had sent in their
views in writing or by telephone, in
order that they might be counted.
The committee will proceed, with
the assistance OF its attorney, TO draft
the necessary amendments on the two
= Issues mentioned. Study on the tech
nical details OF financing, which oc-
cupied the balance of the evening,
will be continued by a special com
mittee I'm preparation for the meeting
next Thursday eyenig.
During the meeting. detailed state
ment was given by the chairman of
the departments, equipment. and
functions OF the schools, considered
necessary in other cities, which could
not be adopted in Wilmington in the
past. owing to lack OF funds.
Preparation of the committees re-
port on the first two issues for the
newspapers and in pamphlet form
!. was authorized at last nights meet
ing.
The address Of DR.. T. o. Cooper,
member OF the Board OF Education
: from the First ward. at the previous
meeting was;
Il am opposed TO a small board.
/, have found that a twelve-membershiI
= board is none too large to attend to
= duties they have, for the salaries they
I, get. II smaller board is to be had
= I certainly imagine that somebody
u will have to take the place OF SONS
of the members now. With a mem
! bership of FIVE someone will be need.
y y ed to look after some of the school;
= now looked after by members of the
!, board Therefore an increase in ex
v pense. We cannot acord it. when W.
/, couldn't get money enough to put oul
- schools In flrst-class, up-to-date sani
tary condition. You get service foi
7 nothing. There will be no diflerenc'
/, between a five and twelve-member
i ship board.
a Il am not persuaded that the small
er boards produce any better results
Is Additional size is very good Mr.. Scot
I, says.
- - 1T doesn't make much difference
= whether you elect at large or by dis
III, trict am In favor OF the ward sys
TEN now.
"NOw as TO collecting money.
x City Council will confer with the boar
and agree upon the budget. the bear
a will be benefited. City Council ha
trouble in raising money OF cours,
= they are going 10 hedge wheneye
& they can: they will do II in days {
come II the board Is given the rlgh
E. to raise its own revenue there Nigh
l. be a tendency to go a little too fai
Some OF the citizens think that som
l. Of our schools are a disgrace. The
e would probably work on the member
e until they got them TO think so too
and there would result extravaganza
"Educationally and professional
the schools are fine. We need som
improvements: we want. and ought t
be, little more up-to-date. The boar
has never received money enough
I only $4,000 for new buildings eac
year. We need money for new bull,
. ings, to fix up old buildings, and to pr
them in better condition.; we nee
more than $4,000 a year for ne
re buildings II this organization wi
busy itself-a suggestion-win busy
unlf "a GOT MONEY a,c,,..i, Fo- 1890,