Smyrna times., 1922-10-25
HOUSING SCHOOL CHILDREN
State Department of Public Instruc-
tiOn Shows Need of School Buildings

tees have been forced to place the
children under their care.
Beginning at the Northern end of |
the State the first point is New Castle.
Despite the fact that the Board of Ed
ucation last summer erected portable |
buildings to accommodate four grades |
the major part of the high school is |
in building not the property of the !!
school district, building which dates
back almost to the days of the Revo-
luton; and some classes meet in
rooms in an old Court House built by
William Penn.
In Delaware City they have for sew
eral years used rooms in the Episcopal
Church and have recently occupied the
Sunday School Room of the Methodist
Church. This is the second year that
classes have met in rooms over drug
store several blocks from the main
building.
In st. Georges a part of the school
meets in a room over a store right at
the fork of the busiest highway in the
State.
In Middletown 372 children attend
school but the school authorities do
not own a single building. The main
school meets in on old Academy which
is rented. One class meets in the par
lor of a neighboring dwelling and two
in the Parish House of the Episcopal
Church. One class meets in what
used to be a club or field house in the
old days.
In Clayton classes meet in a three
room structure which has been added
to the older building by private citi-
zens and rented to the State.
In Frederick, while the building call
ed a High School is not rented, it is
merely a dwelling which is not at all
adapted for school purposes. 1t was
purchased by the old County Board of
Education for temporary use because
it could not be rented.
In Milford the reason there are not
some rented quarters is because no
rooms are available. However, the
District has loaned to it by the Della
ware School Auxiliary Association two
portable buildings that accommodate
three classes.
In Milton both the Masonic and Odd
Fellows Halls have been taken over
for school purposes, one class meeting
on the lower floor of each.
In Georgetown, one class meets in
the Sunday School Room of the Epis-
copal Church and one over a store on
the main business street of the town.
|. In Millsboro one class occupies a
very small rented room, inadequate in
every way but the only one available
in the town.
In Frankford, two classes occupy
the lower floor of lodge hall. These
r children are fortunate to get out of g
: very unsanitary old building.
| Selbyville has rather better build
2 ing than some of its near Delaware
neighbors, but it is so inadequate thai
e three of the classes are housed in al
= old church which was abandoned some
years ago as a house of worship.
AS in Milford the reason why ther,
/ because there are none that can b.
f found. A part of the congestion i
n relieved by a one room portable
t loaned by the auxiliary Association.
Y Bridgeville has recently faced al
e acute situation in this line. Forcet
: last summer to vacate two rooms il
a club house, the Board of Trustee
e fitted up for class room use SOM
e basement rooms never intended fo
: educational purposes and rented NOR
S space over the postoffice. All this i
/ in addition to a two-room portable
/ loaned by the Auxiliary.
It Two rooms in the Seaford fire hous
IS were recently denied to the grade
: that had occupied them. This drOv
l. the Seaford Board of Education t
spending a balance which they ha
'e been saving for more permanent worE
If on a hastily constructed wing to a
t. old and unsafe building. Incidental
s. they, by this, spoiled an inadequat
D but convenient playground. One clas
" continues to meet in a rented stol
D. building.
lie Delmar also falls back on the ol
l. stand-the fire house-for one elias
m The Board of Trustees there recent
ar felt compelled to seek even MOI
Of quarters for another class.
o. These are only the cases where I
he prospect of relief is in sight. 1t
We not worth while to mention Claymon
r Newark, Dover and Smyrna, for the
t. do have hopes of relief in the not Il
ps distant future. But this does not e,
d. haust the list of places where publ
On facilities are inadequate and rentt
t. quarters are being used.
The worst of it all is the fact tn
Id it is getting worse. More calls f
n room come in each year. The who
Y situation is a startling challenge
no Al Al =, a.,