Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1922-10-11
RURAL SCHOOLS
OVERCROWDED
State Educational Officials
Tell of Conditions in
Rural New Castle
CITE ROSE HILL AS
STARTLING EXAMPLE

Many teachers IN the rural sob ools
OF New Castle County. resemble the
"old woman who lived IN the shoe"
says a statement issued by the State
Department Of Public Institution at
Dover Teachers, principals, super
visors and trustees have struggled
with the problems Of over-crowdsd
schools for several years and feel
that the time has come 10 tell their
troubles to the public.
Four years ago the schools OF
Newport were comfortably working
with four rooms we'll filled with
pupils and four teachers in charge
OF these rooms. The following year
partition was torn out between
two cloak rooms and in the sub
stitute for a recitation room thus
created. another teacher was
put TO work. Last year a room
was rented in the town and the first
grade located in the best substitute
for a school room that could be
PAONAQtuf dAUAAAtA AtbNANA boAhk eNAA
ed TO the force. This year the sec
ond grade was Harmed out" and
seven teachers are now working in
the Newport schools, with another
badly needed.
This story could be repeated with
very slight variations about every
village school in New Castle county.
In spite of the fact that the Service
Citizens loaned a two-room portable
building 10 Richardson Park, two
teachers are working on part time
and the front hall Is being used as
classroom. Marshallton has one
class reciting in the portable build
ing loaned by the Service Citizens,
one in the lodge room some distance
from the school building and a pri-
mary grade working in the lower
floor of a dwelling house. Seventy |
two children must cross Lincoln !
Highway four times a day in order
to use the Fairgrounds. In spite of
these contrivances, the main build |
ing Is much overcrowded.
Rose Hill has a building planned !
for one teacher, but the number OF
pup4Ac tliA OAAtu iOW htAAidAAud i've !
teachers. First a partition was /
erected. Next a '1ean-to" was built |
having cubic air space sufficient for |
thirteen pupils, but for the past two
years from twenty 10 thirty pupils |
have had to occupy this tiny class
room. AS in the case Of Newport
first one, then another outside room
was rented, one of them being To-
Gated two miles or more from the
main building. thus making impos-
sible adequate supervision by 'the
school principal.
This story is repeated at Elsmere,
Delaware City. Middletown, st.
Georges. Brandywine Springs and
Townsend. It is deplorable that the
school houses are unsanitary, anti
luated and unfit to be used as work
rooms in the great task Of building
better citizens for a greater Della
ware. but in addition 20 all their
,ther deficiencies. they lack room to
contain the growing army OF public
ichool children.
What this years legislature Will
10 in regard 20 providing funds for
he school buildings depends upon
What the citizens OF the State de- :
nand. The demands Of these needy
ocalitles should be vigorously ex-
'ressed before the election. II any
nan goes to the legislature unen-
ightened as to the school needs of
lis community the school author
ties must bear the onus OF blame
Every teacher. pupil, trustee, prin-
ipal and school supervisor should
make known the fact that New
'astle county needs school build
ngs and that the need is very press
ng and Immediate.