Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-02-20
EARLY REOPEN|NC
Of PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SEEMS PROBABLE
Matter Will be Considered by
Board Of Health at Tomor-
rows Meeting.
SITUATION WAS DISCUSSED

pr. g. NJ Handy. president Of the
Roard ~ Health. this morning refused
10 have anything tO say for publicn-
ton relative 10 the public criticism
which IL daily becoming more wide
atread relative to the continued clos
ing ~ the public schools. because Of
the scarlet fever situation I'm this city.
Ito explained the health board will
meet tomorrow afternoon and the
question ~ keeping the schools closed
ur permitting them to reonen un-
d"uhteily will be taken up for con
s.deratiun, and he did not want to
discuss the matter oefore that meet
ing
Ellwood Souder. president Of the
Roard of Education. explained that
the schools were closed hy order of
tho school board. but Il was the intent
at the time this order was issued TO
have them closed for only one week.
hat they might he fumigated and
cleaned up. hut before the expiration
of tho week tho BOARD Of Health took
charge of tho whole situation and
that the school board Is now helpless
50 far "a issuing an order 10 reopen
them IL concerned and cannot do any
thing without the sanction of the
BOARD of Health
Mr.. Souder said the continued clos
ing of the schools Is serious detrI.
ment. drawback and hinderance 20 the
school program. lie explained further
that the board had left the question
sls..- az. .rI. a
David A. Ward. the superintendent,
inconjunctiou with the Board of
Health. HIS personal view. he mid
was that the schools could he reopen
ed and the conditions would be no
worse than they are now.
Mr. Ward. the superintendent, ;when
spoken To about the matter. explained
that he Is just as anxious as aiiyone
To have the schools resume, but. he
said, he IL cooperating with the
BOARD Of Health; he Is not n physician
aud the whole subject 10 in the hands
uf the health authorities. lie is ready
to start just as soon as the health
board gives permission for the OPEN
inr OF the schools. He said there are
physicians on the Board of.Health and
he feels they know better than he
does just what the situation is and
that they are better judges than he
as 10 what should be done for the
health of the city.
superintendent Ward declared he
was very anxious to have the schools
resume this week. II possible. and If
the Board OF Health is willing to have
them opened he said Il would seem to
him 10 be all right. Mr.. Ward ex-
pressed the thought that If the quar-
antine regulations could be more
rigidly enforced. I'm all probability
there would he no necessity for clos
ing the schools az all. but he pointed
out the recognized difficulty of having
a strict enforcement OF the quarantine
rules In this city as the present city
government is maintained and the
small number of executive officers
given the health board TO enforce their
orders. lie said the schools and the
children are losing much valuable
time because of the enforced closing
because this Is really one of the most
important periods OF the whole school
year.
At some OF the church services IN
he city yesterday pastors made refer
ence to the enforced closing and ex-
pressed the view that the children
would be exposed 10 less danger by
being IN school than they are now
running at large through the streets.
Many citizens have voiced) the same
thought.
Al the time the schools were ordered
closed by the Board of Education. two
weeks ago. there were l1S eases of
SCARLET fever in the city This morn
u the records OF the Boaru OF Health
showed the total number Of patients
to be LAG. Seven cases were reported
To have recovered and five new ones
had developed