Smyrna times., 1919-07-30
TWENTY SCHOOLS IN KENT
ARE YET WITHOUT TEACHERS
KENT SCHOOL BOARD TO ADVISE
CONSOLIDATION IN CASES.
Trustees For Rural Schools Under
New School Code Will Be Named
SOOn-FeltOn Rejects Code.

| iCOOu-T eltOI hSJcClS OOucs
There are at least twenty schools in
Kent county for which no teachers are
yet in sight. This may necessitate
consolidation wherever circumstances
seem to suggest its advisability. The
movement for consolidation of schools
in Kent county may include the
schools districts adjoining the Har-
rington special district - Browns
Neck, Masten's and Powell's-pro-
vided satisfactory means of transpor-
tation can be arranged. A number Of
the children in these districts will have
to go to Harrington, being in the sew
enth and eighth grades, and it is
thought that with little less expense
all the pupils belonging to these
schools might be transported. This
would mean the saving of at least
two teachers and the other expenses
of running three separate schools, a
very important consideration in view
of the scarcity of teachers.
Preparing Appointment of Trustees.
The Kent county Board of Educa-
tion is preparing appointments of
trustees for the school districts under
it's jurisdiction, which will be mainly
the rural districts. AS soon as the ap-
pointments have been made the teach
ers will be assigned. A recent re-
quest from the school trustees of
Canterbury for the restoration of a
two-teacher school at that place has
been under consideration by the Kent
county board, but it is considered
doubtful that the number of pupils
would justify such an arrangement
now. Even division of Cedar Grove,
between Canterbury and Magnolia,
would not furnish a sufficient number
of pupils to make this plan feasible.
FELTON, Rejects New School Code.
Although nearly all the school dis
tricts in the State have acceped the
new School Code, the FELTON, Board
of Education has refused to fall in
line. 1t is held that only one teacher
can be employed in that town, and
under the charter of the board only
$1,000 a year can be raised there for
school purposes. The FELTON, board
has a course of four years for it's
high school, but under the new order
it would have to dispense with the
fourth-year class. That is not de-
sired. An explanation for doing away
with the fOurth-year class is put this
way. 1t becomes apparent when it
is considered that this one class of
three members next year would cost
the State $500, the difference be-
tween it's contribution to a four-year
and a three-year high school, plus at
least 5000, which the county would
have to add to that to get the addi-
tional teacher required-$1, 900 year
for the education of three children
is more than community has a right
to expect, according to the State and
county authorities, when, as they
state, even better opportunities can
be provided for them by the expendi-
ture of 5000 less.
LOathe to Abandon Present Building.
Another objection advanced by the
FELTON, Board is that accepting the
new code might necessarily mean the
abandonment of the present school
building and the erection of another.
While this is not contemplated in the
immediate program at FELTON,, it is
pointed out by the State and county
school authorities that with the offer
of Mr.. DUPONT, it would be a wise
thing for the FELTON, people to accept
the code and build new school house.
The State and county school authOri-
ties contend that FELTON, has every
hing to lose by it's continued refusal
to accept the code, while by accept
ance, courses in agriculture, manual
training and domestic arts could be
introduced, which would put their
schools far ahead of other schools of
| of ILL.,