Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-04-25
EXPECT TO SAVE
ABOUT 100000
ON SCHOOL BUDGET
State Board Of Education
Hopes to Show Value of
Business Methods.
GUARDED ALL EXPENSES

Although there was much criticism
n year ago that the State Board OF
Education would not be able TO meet
demands made upon Il on the budget
OF $2,200.000 set aside for II, IL Is now
very likely that close to $4,000 OF
this sum will bc saved this year
through the affairs of tho State
schools being placed upon business
basis.
j. ., Adams. business administra-
tor for the State Board OF Education
and to whom n major portion of the
credit should go. admitted today.
while in this city, that the saving from
the budget would range between $780,
o00 and 5000 900. The State board. in
calculating the saving. has taken into
consideration all known expenditures
at this time that they believe VIII be
needed until tn school term is over.
II something unforeseen does not arise
the State board will have about 5000
600 TO turn back To the state treas
urer.
DIR. Thomas l.. Brown, president of
the State board, in commenting on
the splendid showing made through
the business administration. said that
some people who knew that the board
would be able TO get through the year
within its appropriation. had asked
him why the money saved should not
be spent anyway: that II would never
get IT back again for the schools, and
that II was foolish to turn anything
back To the State treasurer. DR.. Brown
said that the members OF the board
did not feel that way about II. That
IL had required careful handling of
ell funds to save. and that simply be
cause there was a small surplus. that
That was no reason why IL should be
expended for something that was not
needed
Mr. Adams, in speaking OF how the
money had been saved, said that IT was
done In a score of ways. That money
had been saved in purchasing text
books. Another Illustration was where
IL was found the board was psyins
fun insurance on some discarded
school buildings that were not service
able without repairs. Supplies of all
kinds have been bought with the ,ln-
derstanding that there was only so
much money appropriated and that
purchases must he kept within the
budget.
Save Upwards of S400.000.
This saving of $500. 1000 may not
mean much 10 most citizens unlas.
they realize also that the So 200 600
appropriated for this year is a slash
OF s250.0o0 from the year previous
Take this and add to il the 5000 600
expected 70 be saved this year and
the result is about ss5O.0OO saved
this year in the administration OF the
public schools of Delaware.
Mr.. Adams errand I'm this city To-
day WAS in connection with unpald
school taxes owing In New Castle
county FOR the years 1919 and 1920
In round figures the total owed the
county by delinquents IL $4,000. There
are also $4,000 OF debts due, for which
there is no fund and which the un-
paid taxes would meet The State
Board OF Education has no way of
raising funds TO meet this sec. 900 in
deoiedness. as the money appropriated
- ASs titS year y SCHOOL expenses. Mr..
Adams with Robert Bruce of the VIII
mington board went before the Levy
Court and urged the members to do
what they could TO collect the taxes.
Regarding unpaid bills. Mr.. Adams
stated that Kent had some delinquent
school taxes but that these were coll
iected and were sufficient to pay off
half the old debts. Sussex county had
collected its schools taxes and has
no money TO meet its school bills AN
paid. Both counties propose to apply
10 the Legislature TO make an appro-
priation sufficient to pay the bills
Both Mr.. Adams and DR.. Brown
were OF the opinion that, as far as the
saving in the state school budget is
concerned this year, il ought to con-
tinue next year. AS q matter of fact
the state board, il is said, has spent
money this year that will not be ne
cessary next year. There is but one
way in which the expenses of con-
Quoting the schools ought to ligiti-
mately increase. they say, and that is
In the bonus paid teachers. Every in
structor who returns TO his or her
work next year Will receive a small
stipend as a reward for their loyalty.
so that If all were to return, the sal
aries would automatically be slightly
Increased.