Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-15
NEWARK CONSIDERS
NEW SCHOOL PROJECT
Favorable Attitude Toward Ac'
ceptance Of School Auxiliary's
Offer Of $225,0 900.
Special Correspondence TO Evcry Evening

favor Of the proposed bond issue of
sl55. 900 Mt the special election next Sstur-
day. in order TO get the S225, 900 offered
by the Delaware School Auxiliary Asso-
ciation towards the building Of new
school, they were not voiced nt pubic
meeting held in the High School last hight.
The meeting which was called bys Joint
committee Of the High School Alumni
Association and the New Century Club.
was attended by about 70 Taxpayers.
The purpose was To hear any objections
Taxpayers might have 60 the proposition
and have the details rslntive 10 the
s225, 900 offer explained Many questions
were asked and there were some cot1-
plants ms TO taxes. assessment, etc, but
the opinion expressed by practically
everyone who talked on the matter was
that the district could not afford to turn
down such liberal offer and that IL should
be accepted by favorable vote on the
bond issue next Saturday. II WAS made
plain that there are no strings To- the gift
and that the only provisions made by the
auxiliary are that the town raise the
1856. 900 and that the asaociathn have
voice as 10 the plans for the proposed
building
That II s imperative that Newark net
promptly on the proposition wne shown
| by a letter from the School Auxiliary As
sociation, which DR.. Walter II. Steel.
president Of the local Board of Education,
had read In this letter IL was stated
that the offer could not stand indefinitely
and TINT ma New Castle was ready and
ANXIOUS TO accept The gift would be trans
ferred to that town unless Newark took
prompt action.
George w Griffin presided and before
AZ, fnr ~ .fl "a Jf lftuh
School students sang an original arng to
the tune Of "Tipperary. allowing the
great need Of new school and predicting
n vote IN favor Of tho bond issue on Sat
urday
Mr. Griffin said tho school district was
asked 10 bond for s155.0o0 10 order TO
avail itself of gift Of 1925 600 from the
Delaware School Auxiliary Association.
SMALL TAX iNcREAsF
The first question asked waa rs TO what
the conditions were under which the
district get the s225, 900. II believe we
are only to raise the Sl55 600 Mr.
Griffin replied
Robert L. Armstrong inquired in hat
way the local schools would he reirn-
bursed for pupils coming from other dis
tricta IL was stated that such children
would be given tuition for actual cost
Arthur L. Beals asked i there was room
in tho schools now for all tho children IL
was brought out that The schools arc OVER
crowded In answer to the question as 20
how much the proposed building would
cost 10 WAS explained that tho total coat
would be about $40 600 or this amount
the land would cost 81, 500 and Il waa esti-
mated the equipment would cost sSOOOu,
| leaving 1921 500 for the building
T.. h. hg1ar
could give any idea IA what the increase
in taxes would be, should the bonds be
issued Robert s Gallaher. a member
of the School Board. said the increase
would not he moro than slx cents on the
500 over tho present rate which u 70
! cents. as the budget this wear provided
/ for taking care of $4,000 for new
/ building MIR Griffin remarked that thus
1 increaae OF six cents would provide for
/ paying off four phr cent 81 the bonds each
| wear In answer To a question asked
! by DR. B @ Pearson. as g. whether or
| not the district would later be asked To
issue bonds for the Negro school II WAS
stated by MIR. Gallahcr that the Negro
school would be looked after in another
way aud the district would not be called
on 20 bond
Dr. Ellis asked IL someone would eS-
plain the condition Of the present school
buildings as to their fitness etc. J. Herbert
Owens explained In detail the conditions
| of all three schools
PRESENT CONDITIONS.
The Academy building. used as High
School he said, WAS more than 100 years
old and untitled in every way as school
The ventilation is poor, lighting poor and
] - l.a r.ias,.af IN nj
| the rooms to keep the ceiling from falling
| He said the conditions as 20 lighting, ven
tilation. hearing. etc were also bad IN the
other two schools. Mr. Owens said It was
a great handicap 70 the teachers working
under such conditions. That, he said, was
the reason Delaware has 20 go outside
the State for teachers; proper training
conditions are not provided Tor the chll'
| dren.
DIR. Pearson wanted 70 know II any OF
the proposed 81 ,0O0,0 900 bond issue for
rural New Castle county, should 1t be
voted, would come TO Newark, or II this
district would have 20 help pay that bond
issue. George l. Medill, president OF the
| New Castle County Board of Education
| explained that as Newark is q special
district, it is q separate taxing unit and as
the law now stands, would in no way be
affected by the proposed 81 100000 issue.
MIR. Beals asked how it was, after the
district, at a special meeting last winter
voted to 20 into the county system, dlo
not dissolve as q special district and &C
into the county. Or. Walter II. Steel
president Of the local board, said while he
WAS not a member Of the board at thai
time, he knew letter was written to the
State Board, setting out the result OF th'
meeting, and he understood nothing
was ever heard from the State Board OF
the subject. Mr. Medill said shortly aftel
the meeting referred to the Legislator,
changed that section of the law and thai
now Il is necessary for the district 10 hold
an election and vote TO go into the county
system and there has to be unanimous
vote of the county board before specia
district will be accepted into the county
system. Several persons expressed them
selves as being pleased that such cham
was not made whereby Newark would
have dissolved as a special district. Mr.
MediIl said it would probably be unwiss
for Newark TO dissolve as special dis
trict now from the standpoint OF getting
a new school, and that after the new build
ing is secured the district would probably
not want TO make the change.
The county will probably have to issue
81 900, 900 in bonds to get S250,000, while
Newark is to issue but Sl55,00O bonds
TO get S225,000. Continuing, Mr. Medil
said he could not see how the Newarl
district could possibly afford to turr
down such proposition, especially wheI
- Ia consiJarad that IN will ha necessary