Evening journal., 1919-01-20
FIVE MEMBER
School BOARD
IS ADVOCATED
CONTINUED from page One.)

fOr the wilmington DUdIO Ol LldSdpioA
IN determining the expeditures for pub
Lie education is recommended for the
following reasons;
II. The principle was fundamental In
influencing the creation Of Boards Of
Public Education as State corporations
DISTINGUISHED from municipal depart
ments conducting such work as water,
streets, sewers, parks. etc.
y Public education has been DEEM
ed Of sufficient importance in prac-
ticsIly half the cities Of the United
States TO have Its financial manage |
ment made directly responsible 30 the
people, free and separate from the con- |
duct of regular municipal business. !
The Boards Of Education Is such cities |
determine their budgets within statu- |
tory limits without revision by any
other body
"3. The result Of fixing a maximum
rate OF taxation lstatutory limit With
IN which the Board OF Education has re- /
sponsibility and freedom for construc-
tive plans has been to put the Issue OF
school expenditures directly up TO The
people. City councils or boards OF re-
vision do not. therefore. have to involve
the vital educational needs with other
municipal needs In establishing city
budgets and tax rates. nor do they have
TO pass upon educational programs with
which they are not familiar.
"a The experience In the majority
Of cities OF the United States has shown.
that boards OF education VIII rarely :
raise a school tax rate without general I
approval by the people OF It's budget
and program for the year.
IS. The Board OF Education should
lay out full constructive program
for the schools Of Wilmington and
should be In a position 10 secure an-
snces 10 carry out this program.
'6. After extensive study OF condi-
sions In Wilmington and elsewhere. we
recommend the following conservative
statutory limits within which thei ,
Board OF Education, shall have full ,
power to determine the annual expendi- J
ture for schools and to issue bonds for I
permanent Improvements subject only 4
to It's direct responsibility 10 the peo- 4
pie;
"(al The annual budget for costs
OF operation, maintenance, Interest
on all school bonds, and amounts !,
necessary TO take care OF all ma 4
TURTLES or sinking fund payment .
OF bonds, not 10 exceed mills on .
the dollar OF the assessed value OF
city properly.
"(bl The total indebtedness for q
school property not to. exceed at !,
any time per cent. OF the assessed
value OF real city property OF the
city OF Wilmington. 4,
"(c) A limit Of one-half Of one =
per cent. on assessed real valuation
OF the city Of Wilmington as the
maximum amount that may be bor- .
rowed In any one year.
"(d) Bonded debt for school pur-
poses shall be exclusive Of and sep
arate from municipal indebtedness.
-. The limit OF nine mills. as stated I,
shove. is g low average OF maximum !
limits in other cities. Cities in Pennsyl- ,
vania have a maximum OF 20 mills,
which Is equivalent TO IS mills on VIII
mington's assessment
"The 2 per cent. limit outlined above =
Is the lowest set In any State (Wyom- !,
Ingl. and the maximum In Pennsylvania n
,lties Is 9 per cent without revision and :,
ID to per cent. by vote OF the people
n the town affected. other States range -,
o 10 per cent. by vote OF the people =,
rhe per cent bonding limit. which Is
he smallest allowed In other States or
without vote OF the people. Is recon- 10
nended as adequate for Wilmington. -
"e. Wilmington now spends approx ~
nately $50 per child. per annum. for y,
chool maintenance and operation, and -,
las invested IN school property about ~
'95 per child. Average cities spend sp- ~,
s45 per child for malnte- AZ u.
nance and operation and have invested VI
IN school property. about $500 per a,
,hild. while good school cities spend D"
from $50 to $50 per child for mainte- :.
nance and have invested in school prop .De
srty from s2O0 TO s4oO per child .e
"9. Under the program as recon- 10 10
mended. the people win have the same ~
direct control over administration and =.
expenditures for public schools through n'
the Board Of Education that Is now ex- y,
ercised through the City Council over "
the administration Of municipal affairs ~
and municipal expenditures, by public ~
opinion and the ballot ~
part 2.
RECOMMENDED. That on and after -.
June 80 1919 the Ros-l Of Public Edu- v
cation in Wilmington shall consist OF !.
i've members, elected at large. =;
ELECTION at large for the Whining ~
lon Board OF Education Is recommended -,
'or the following reasons:
IL In q board elected al large every
member represents the entire city d. !,
ectly.
70. Experience shows that a board y y
member elected at large naturally as y.
umes city wide interest In all schools =,
nd IN the system as a whole, rathe:
nan the war viewpoint affecting one or n
NO schools ii
"3 Under a board elected at large =,
le practice Of building small schools a.
every ward is replaced by the build ~
g OF fewer and lager schools In the sS
'nvenient centers for the population. az
"a Cities In surrounding States whose ~
hools were poor a number Of years
70 under the ward system are now o.,
'ted for good schools under boards ca
presenting the citizens at large. ms
3. In S6 per cent OF the cities OF a.
ae United States OF 100000 population NJ
no IN n per cent OF the cities be- ha1
~een 1000 and 10000 population cleo sns
.on az large has been adopted. s-s a
/, o. Testimony Of ali these cities ord Say
80 80, 'essnnony Of the United States Bu- "a.
rD y, Luucaton. and other authorities q
snd ,,~s Ing tnese cities, ls a constant
.s.s. ~, iious !. record OF better results dt
Nr; w Oeffenbaugh. snec,slis, 10 wit
scnooi admin stration. i. 6 ,r.. Rrraa,' ~ tior
Euuoation' says: The ws-d svs,er. oi boa
ainosl disappeared and win NJ I nss pee
within few years give vvav sris 1ouol pro
10 election at large. The lely mes
schools and the most inefficient 'u,est puI
es--=--==---==-===-=-s- -------e man req