Evening journal., 1919-07-03
S. DUPONT
GIVES S2,0Ol,O0O
TO STATE SCHOOLS
Continued From First Page)
firth of the scholars Of the public

stnOul> anu titNnfuldfN NfnhbAos
From a reading Of the trust deed and
/ the Interpretation which Dr. Odell put
upon IL, il would seem as If Mr.. du-
Pont had anticipated the most vital
needs OF Delaware by making possible
complete rebuilding program for the
school houses Of the State within per
iod OF four years.
Paragraph number one shows that
Mr. dupont has anticipated that the
school districts OF Delaware viii be
so conscious Of their needs and so
eager 10 beneft by this opportunity
that the claim for the first year may
be larger than the annual income OF tho
securities deposited, so he has made II
possible TO realize even on the principal
Of the trust fund TO meet such an emer-
gency.
Every school claiming any benefit
from the fund must operate under the
new State School Code, and all plans
for new buildings must be approved by
the State Board Of Education. While
each school district must submit its,
plans for approval 10 the Board Of Edu-
cation, amount OF gift, and the order
IN which gifts shall be made will be
left 10 a special committee Of the SER
vice Citizens, Of which the director, Dr.
Odell, must be a member. That COM
mittee will decide how much is needed
from the fund by each school district in
order TO secure a modern plant thor
oughly equipped, and IN line with the
scientific principles which are now be-
ing applied 10 school construction in
other states.
There are undoubtedly some pOpu-
lous school disirices which may need
buildings beyond the ability OF the tax
payers to provide There are other
school districts which may be better
able TO provide school facilities and yet
may not be in need Of a large building
program. IL is understood that the dis
tributing committee Of the Service
Citizens will cooperate with any
school district entering into a study OF
its needs and sympathetlcally working
with the board to achieve the best re-
suits for the children Of the district. |
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.. du- /
Points deed OF trust consolidated dis /
tricts that are building schools capable /
OF becoming community Oenters will |
take precedence in receiving aid. Con- /
solldated schools get higher education |
al results because they are able TO |
grade the children and they are also |
more successful in being able TO en- /
ploy more efficient teachers.
Mr.. duPonCs benefaction is not in !
tended 10 relieve school district Of |
its financial responsibility In providing
adequate school facilities for It's chill
dren. II does not mean that a school
district Will have to raise less money
than IL would II Il were building
school unaided, but Il does mean that
by this supplementary grant district
that Is willing 10 raise money TO build
a new school VIII be able TO have
much better school than the taXpay-
ers might have provided without such /
cooperation.
10 Aid COlOred Schools. Too.
Four hundred thousand dollars are 10
be used or set aside for the benefit OF
he colored schools OF the state. Del
ware has been spending much less
yer capita upon its colored children
han upon It's white children; in fact,
he annual current cost per pupil has
een $500 in the cOlored schools,
1872 in the rural schools and s25.7i
n the Incorporated schools, and the
alues Of the buildings for colored
hlldren have been almost in the same
alto. I
More than seventeen per cent Of all
he children OF the schools OF Della
,are are colored, and Mr.. duPonCs !
pecial paragraph relating TO colored |
chools shows that he intends that the
olOred children shall have at least as (
oOd buildings as The white children. !
In a survey OF The Educational Sys-
EN- Of Delaware, made by the General
iducatlOn Board. which led TO the new
chOol Code, the school buildings Of
he state were shown 10 be OF decid-
dly backward and inferior type on the
,hOle, although credit was freely
iven for such modern buildings as do
xist.
hould GO In First Place.
II is estimated by experts that n the
arious school districts will raise a
lm Of money adequate 10 the inn /
ledlate needs Of the State, supple
rented by the s2,OO0OO0 whiOh Mr. du-
ont has given, Delaware should jump y
fthin the next four years from the
lirty-third place among the States OF {
he nation into the very first place
here is no state In the Union which
as a supplementary building fund
lch as this. No responsible school
Ulcers in America have such an op-
for advancing education as
his benefaction makes possible for the
cards OF Delaware r
IL is not generally known that ex-
erts from the Educational Department
{ Columbia University, New York. are
ow making a scientific survey Of all n
he school buildings of the state out
ide Of Wilmington. They are taking
and writing descriptions 5
II every building and making photo
,raphs of actual conditions. 4 report n
lpon these schools will be made by
september ~, together with recon- n
as TO what changes are
Necessary. and il will be very largely Ii
lpon this survey that the distribution
II Mr. duponts fund will rest
70 has been learned from very good
Ources that this is not q mere impulse
N Mr.. duPont's part. Ever since ne ac-
epted position upon The state Board d
+ Education. he has been bringing his a
Sst business experience to bear upon .
he problems Of the State. lie has II
ought and obtained expert advice on
many phases Of the new school code,
nd his latest gift to Delaware is evil 1
ence that he has a clear vision Of the
EDUCATIONAL possibilities Of his State {
Those who heard the announcement +