Milford chronicle., 1919-07-11
PS DU POINT GIVES
SCHOOLS 100000
concluded from first page)


school districts of Delaware will b
so conscious of their needs and S
eager to benefit by this opportunit
that the claim for the first year ma
be larger than the annual income o
the securities deposited, so he ha
made it possible orealize even ol
the principal of the trust fund to NEE
such an emergency.
Every school claiming any benef
from the fund must operate under tht
new State school code, and all plan:
FOR new buildings must be approved by
the State Board of Education. While
each school district must submit it:
plans for approval to the Board o.
Education, amount of gift, and the
order in which gifts shall be made will
be left to a special committee of the
Service Citizens of which the director
pr Odell, must be member. THAI
committee will decide how much is
needed from the fund by each schoo
district in order to secure a modern
plant, thoroughly equipped, and in
line with the scientific principles
which are now being applied to school
construction in other States.
There are undoubtedly some popu-
lous school districts which may need
buildings beyond the ability of the
taxpayers to provide. There are other
school districts which may be better
able to provide school facilities and
vet may not be in need of large
building program. 1t is understood
that the distributing committee of the
ruff
anv school district entering into a
study of its needs and sympathetically
working with the board to achieve the
best results for the children of the dis
trict.
The experience of other States has
been that in the rural districts the
schools have achieved in
fnitely better results than the single
room school system, and under Mr..
deed of trust consolidated
districts that are building schools ca
pable of becoming community centers
will take precedence in receiving aid.
Consolidated schools get higher edu-
cational results because they are able
10 grade the children and they are also
more successful in being able to en-
ploy more efficient teachers.
Mr.. duPont's benefaction is not in
Tended to relieve a school districts of
its financial responsibility in providing
adequate school facilities for its chill
lren. 1t does not mean that school
district will have to raise less money
han it would if it were building a
school unaided, but it does mean that
ly this supplementary grant a district
hat is willing to raise money to build
/ new school will be able to have
much better school than the taXpay-
RS might have provided without such
To Aid COIOred Schools, Too
Four hundred thousand dollars are
0 be used or set aside for the benefit
# the colored schools of the State.
delaware has been spending much less
er capita upon it's colOred children |
han upon its white children; in fact, |
he annual current cost per pupil has |
cen 1929 in the colored schools, .
1872 in the rural schools and S25.71 .
4 the incorporated schools, and the
alues of the buildings for colored
hildren have been almost in the same
alto.
More than seventeen per cent of all
he children in the schools of Della
are are colored, and Mr.. duPont's
Decial paragraph relating to cOlored
,hools shows that he intends that the
)lored children shall have at least as
BOD buildings as the white children.
In a survey of the Educational Sys-
m of Delaware, made by the General
ducation Board, which led to the new
chool Code, the school buildings Of
e State were shown to be in a decid-
lily backward and inferior type on the
hole, although credit was freely
ven for such modern buildings as do
list.
Should Go in First Place
1t is estimated by experts that if the
.rious school districts will raise
m of money adequate to the immed-
te needs of the State, supplemented
the $2,000,000 which Mr.. DUPONT has
ven, Delaware should jump within :
e next four years from the thirty
ird place among the States of the
ltion into the very first place. There
no State in the Union which has
pplementary building fund such as
is. No responsible school officers in !
nerica have such an opportunity for
vancing education as this benefac-
IN makes possible for the boards of
,laware.
1t is not generally known that ex- !
rts from the Educational Depart :
ent of Columbia University, New
'rk, are now making a scientific sur
Y of all the school buildings of the 1;
ate outside of Wilmington. They :
8 taking measurements and writing :
scrlptlons or every building and
liking photographs of actual condi-
ms. A report upon these schools :,
Il be made by September 10, together
tn recommendations as to what
anges are necessary, and it will be =
~ largely upon this survey that the =
of Mr.. duPont's fund will
It has been learned from very good
lrces that this is not a mere impulse !
Mr.. duPont's part. Ever since he n
,epted a position upon the State Y
ard of Education he has been bring
his vast business experience to A
IT upon the problems of the State. n
has sought and obtained expert ad- \,
e on many phases Of the new school n
lie, and his latest gift to Delaware y y
evidence that he has clear vision =
the educational possibilities of his >;
tie. .
those who heard the announcement :
Delaware College. believe firmly 4
t this trust marks the Beginning of
lew era in the life of the State and
t Delaware, in educational matters,
destined to forge ahead of any other
tie in the Union.
TDMTTV