Smyrna times., 1922-10-18
RURAL SCHOOLS OVER IN NEW
CASTLE COUNTY CONGESTED
BOARD OF EDUCATION HEARS
OF OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS
Townsend and Middletown Are Re-
ported Among List of Others Where
Rooms Are Too Crowded

Rooms Are Too Crowded
Many teachers in the rural schools
of New Castle County, resemble the
cold 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-crowded
schools for several years and feel that
the time has come to tell their
troubles to the public.
Four years ago the schools of New
port were comfortably working with
four rooms we'll filled with pupils and
four teachers in charge of these
rooms. The following year a par
tition was torn out between two cloak
rooms and in the substitute for re-
citation room thus created, another
teacher was put to work. Last year
room was rented in the town and
the first grade located in the best
substitute for a school room that could
be provided, another teacher being
added to the force. This year the sec
ond grade was EARNED 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 to Richardson Park, two
teachers are working on part time and
the front hall is being used as a class
room. MarshalltOn has one class re-
citing in the portable building loaned
by the Service Citizens, one in the
lodge room some distance from the
school building and primary grade
working in the lower floor of dwell
ing 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 building is much overcrowded.
Rose Hill has a building planned for
one teacher, but the number of pupils
enrolled now demands five teachers.
First a partition was erected. Next
"lean-to" was built having cubic air
space sufficient for thirteen pupils, but
for the past two years twenty to thir-
ty pupils have had to occupy this tiny
classroom. As in the case of Newport
first one, then another outside room
was rented, one of them being located
two miles or more from the main
building, thus making impossible
adequate supervision by the school
principal.
This story is repeated at Elsmere,
Delaware City, Middletown, st.
Georges, Brandywine Springs and
Townsend. 1t is deplorable that the
school houses are unsanitary, anti
quated and unfit to be used as work
rooms in the great task of building
better citizens for greater Delaware
but in addition to all their other de-
ficiencies, they lack room to contain
the growing army of public school
children.
What this years Legislature will dc
in regards to providing funds for the
school buildings depends upon what
the citizens of the State demand. The
demands of these needy localities
should be vigorously expressed before
the election. If only man goes to the
legislature unenlightened as to the
school needs of his community the
school authorities must bear the onus
of blame. Every teacher, pupil, trus.
tee, principal and school supervisor
should make known the fact that New
Castle county needs school buildings
and that the need is very pressing
and immediate.