Middletown transcript., 1919-03-01
new SCHOOL CODE
County Supt. W. H. Jump Replie.
to Taxpayer
IS GAINING CONVERTS DAILY
Communicated

is GAINING CONVERTS DAILY
Communicated
Dear Editor:
In discussing the New School Code
now before the General Assembly, con-
siderable space was used in the columns
of your valuable peper in it's last issue
by correspondent who signed himself
"Tax-Payer."
Reply is made to the article, not be-
cause it is believed the points urged
have any great merit or should carry
much weight, but because the writer
feels confident of one fact, namely, Mr..
"Tax- Payer had not carefully read
the proposed New Code before writing
the article. The reading public must
not be guided by such mislnformation.
Mr.. "Tax-Payer" you have. most
vigorously attacked the State Com
missioner of Education. You have gone
so far as to say he would be 1.-The Gear,
with no check on his powers. Let me
quote from the proposed New Code,
Article two, Section thirty-four, 1.-The
State Commissioner of Education shall
execute the educational policies of the
State Board of Education. He must
be one who executes the law rather
than the maker of the law. Again in
Article two, Section fifty-nine, 1.-THE
State Commissioner of Education shall
perform such other duties as are assign
ed him from time to time by the State
Board of Education and by the General
Assembly," In nineteen of the twenty
eight sections dealing with the duties
of the State Commissioned Education
will be found, 1.-The State Commissioner
of Education shall prepare, or cause to
be prepared. and submitted for approval
and adoption by the State Board of
Education" or in other sections, 1.-The
State Commissioner of Education acting
under the rules and regulations of the
State Board of Education" and etc.
Cars do not work under the regu-
lations and limitations as quoted above
The State board of Education and the
State Commissioner of Education are to
work in conjunction one with the other.
This will be plainly seen if Articles one
and two are compared.
: The fourteen Articles in the New
Code fit like shingles on a roof, each
backing up and checking up the other.
The New Code must be viewed as a
whole to thoroughly appreciate its con-
structive value.
Space will not permit detail in answer
ing the points urged by Mr.. "rax-Pay-
er." Let me state, however, that while
every good Delawarean should discuss
this momentous question, = no new light
has been shed by your article. The
"acid test" was applied by specialists.
Let US go now to cost. Mr.. "Tax-
Payer" would have you believe that
Middletown would pay from $500 to
$1,000 on the overhead expense in the
county. 1t has been rightly stated that
the overhead expense, or the cost of
maintaining the County Board Office,
would be $4,000. Almost two thirds
of this cost would be borne by the state
through state appropriation, so stated
in the New Code. A'iddletown would
receive funds from the state as she is
now receiving, plus $1,000 state appro-
priation, plus more than twice the
amount she is now receiving from pay
pupils.
Some of the largest and best thinking
men in the state are backing the New
Code. 1t is gaining converts daily as
men become more familiar with the
facts and detail. The following sum-
mary is from an editorial in the Del
marvia Star, Sunday, Feb. 23d, and has
put in very concise form the main
points of the New Code.
l. The New Code guarantees to every
child free education from the kinder
garten to the high school and college
without cents expense to the parent
for tuition.
2. 1t places all school moneys in the
hand of the State Treasurer and the
County Treasurer of the respective
with ample protection not only
of the state school funds but also of
county school funds raised by taxation.
3. 1t establishes state high school
system for the first time in the history
of Delaware.
4. 1t provides for supervision, which
has been so much needed.
5. 1t makes the boards of education,
and special, elective in order
that the people may have a voice in
their schools.
6. 1t guarantees that professional
men and women trained in school ad-
and supervision will con-
duct the schools.
T. 1t guarantees to principals and
teachers living wage and protects
them in their work.
8. 1t will save between $4,000 and So
900 annually by changing the manner
Of collecting school taxes.
8. 1t will save thousands of dollars by
as establishing efficient control of school
affairs. There has been waste of two
Or three thousand dollars annually in
the way free text books have been dis
tri: uted.
10. 1t will save much time in the case
IF the state auditor who will have fewer
than twenty school accounts instead Of
the present number of 424. The same
saving in time will he ilaugursted in
the state treasurer's Office. ,,
~ Tho Naw School Codo will nj ,nl