Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-02
SCHOOL MEETING.
At GEORGETOWN
Suggested Changes in State Law
Discussed by the People Of
Sussex County.
neutrality-suspicious. to Every Evening

/ Citizens Committee residing in Sussex
county, together with members Of the
boards of education OF the special school
districts within the bounds of the county
and the local trustees of the several school
districts, met in conference in the Court
House here Tuesday and exchanged views
relative to the changes they thought
should be made to fit the conditions rs
! found in the the severalN localities.
Practically nothing was accomplished
j at the morning session, which convened at
| 10 o'clock, with DR.. Robert Hopkins
president of the Sussex County Board OF
! Education, acting as chairman and Mrs
| J. Rowland Buell. OF Selbyville as secrc-
| tarv. Colonel Robert G. Houston, one of
the greatest exponents Of education IN
southern Delaware, together with DIR.
Hopkins, explained the purposes OF the
meeting and the filing in of the question
naires, after which the latter were dis
tributed to the representatives, to be
returned by Saturday. These question
naires have been printed In Every Even
ing.
County Commissioner William +. Val
liant of Laurel explained the manner IN
which the school taxes in Sussex county
are levied and collected and stated that
while it costs Kent county 8 per cent for
collection. Sussex only pays - per cent.
This. he stated, was due TO the system that
has been established in this county
George w Jones, residing between
Milton and Redden, who owns 700 acres
of land in Cedar Creek and Broadkiin
hundreds and for more than thirty years
was a school teacher in the county, adj
vanced the idea Of taxing bonds and
mortgages as one Of the hest sources of
revenue to assist in paying the school
taxes If the law is changed, he believes
that the state should grant aid to the
schools
OppOsition to consolidation of the
schools was advanced by some because
thew did not believe the conditions Of the
roads in all PARTS Of the county were
favorable
William !. Penuel expressed the belief
that no one teacher was able TO do Justice
TO fortv or fifty pupils, nor TO herself IT
the school WAS divided up into SIX or
eight grades He favored the graded school
for the rural section, If it were possible
and believed it would be advantageous.
Where there are eight grades IN school,
he advocated the building OF an addition
in order 10 accommodate them and at
the same time have two teachers, each TO
hsndle four grades. Better results would
be obtained by this arrangement he said
Colonel Houston advanced the idea
that it would be well TO consider the pro
position OF sending the children of a crowd
ed district over to an adjoining distrct
where the attendance was small and
his suggestion met hearty response from
many
Weldon NAPLES Of Milton thought the
solution Of the problem was the consollda-
e. - - -.-.1 o1hNCfs haftay~tpC that
it would lessen the msintenspce cost OF
the school properties, prove more bene-
fi5al To the children and give them the
advantage Of 8 much better education
than could be acquired IN many OF the
rural schools as they are conducted today.
He believes that without state aid there
are many schools that cannot support
themselves He advanced the argument
that the strong districts should assist the
weak, end by 80 doing conditions would be
more equalized Addison B. Hudson Of
Selbvville and G. W G. Cobaugh OF
Glendale also believe that the strong
schools should assist the weak ones.
FAVOR AGRICULTURAL COURSE.
Mr. and Mrs Cobaugh, who have a
bov attending the Georgetown High School
stated that they realize the benefit he IL
deriving from the agricultural course
being taught and believe il is 10 be one
OF the best courses IN the schools Of the
country While they obtsln the thCoret-
ical knowledge Of farming, il en-
ables them 20 spply the prsctical knOwl-
edge 70 much better advantage since
the agricultural student Is enabled 10
combat the plant diseases, tell what /
fertilizers are best adapted 10 the growth |
Of crop. etc They cited as an instance |
the benefits Of the agricultural course
from the prizes az the recent corn show |
In this county Thote who had been taught |
agriculture In the schools were the ones |
who carried off the most prlxes as gen /
eral rule.
Mr. Jones advocated central high |
school for Sussex County with 300 acres /
OF land adjacent, 10 be located AZ or near /
Georgetown. because he believes George /
town TO be the most available spot In The /
county because Of its central location. |
Colonel Theodore Townsend of Mil |
ford, who for about II years one of /
the commissioners Of education IN Kent |
county, said he would like TO see all /
special districts in the State wiped out |
and the state take over the high schools !
He advocated three high schools for /
Sussex county, three in Kent and two IN /
rural New Castle and one In the city OF /
Wilmington He would locate one in |
Georgetown, one at Bridgeville and one |
either in Laurel or Seaford. but prefer /
ably in Laurel because il could take care /
Of the pupils ip the south western section /
OF the county Bridgeville, he ssid, could |
take care Of the north western part of /
the county, while with one att Milford /
it would serve the northern part OF Sus
sex and portion Of the southern port of |
Kent county.
In Kent county one could be located |
at Harrington and another at Dover.
Smyrna would be an ideal place for one /
and also New Cestle His experience IN /
school matters has taught him, he said |
that not more than twenty Of the rural |
schools in Kent or Sussex counties are
equipped. No attention Is given /
to ventilation or sanitary conditions.
Fathers and mothers, he said, don't |
average visit once a year to the schools /
end look them over and see the conditions /
where their children are fitting themselves /
for life's work.
II was the unanimous opinion of the |
dslegs ton present thet the school prob
lem was big ore and would require |
much time and thought
What action the several districts will |
take on the questionnaires, which have |
been carried back to them by the several
reprcseD tatives, is problematicsl, but the |
belief prevails that the people will give |
sober and serious consideration to the /