Smyrna times., 1926-12-22
NEW SCHOOL BILL WOULD TAKE
TWO MILLION FROM TREASURY
BOARD OF EDUCATION DECIDES
NOT TO ASK FOR "A BOND ISSUE
Enough Surplus Funds Are in State
Treasury to Take Care of School
Building Program, 1t is Declared

BUILDING Program, IL is Declared
Members Of the State Board of Ed
ucation, in session at Dover Friday,
discussed at length the draft of bill
providing for a statewide school
building program, which bill is to be
presented to the Legislature att the
session beginning January A. 1t was
decided to meet with the mayor of
Wilmington, members of City Council
the Wilmington Board of Education
and the members of the newly-ap-
pointed school survey commission at
1.3O o'clock tomorrow, Thursday af-
ternoon. Following that conference
it is intended to get the bill into final
shape. The plan is to present the bill
early in the session SO there will be
ample time to discuss it. The bill
which has been drawn for the state
school board was prepared by Henry
Ridgely, well-known lawyer of Do
yer. The proposed act will provide
that $2,000,000 be appropriated from
the state treasury to build the schools
and that there be no bond issue for
this purpose. In this respect the bill
differs from that submitted by P. S.
dupont two years ago which measure
provided for bond issue to cover the
building cost. The new bill provides
for a building comission of four mem
bers, one from Wilmington, one from
rural New Castle county, one from
Kent and one from Sussex. This COM
mission is to meet and organize prior
to the first Of May next and the COM
mission is given the authority to en-
ploy architects and engineers and to
do such things as are necessary. The
state school board, as under the du-
Pont bill, will decide where the
schools shall be located and in what
order they shall be built This COM
mission is appointed by the governor
and not more than two shall be of the
same political party. This insures a
commission of two and two as was
provided in the dupont bill.
Wilmington Get Two Fifths Of Fund
Under the measure Wilmington is
to get two-fifths of the money appro-
priated or 100000, while the re-
mainder of the state is to get three
fifths or $1,2OO,O0O. This provision
differs from the DUPONT bill which
gave Wilmington so per cent, or one
half of the total amount. As Will
mington pays considerably more than
half the taxes Of the state it is pos
sible that the Wilmington members
of the Legislature will insist upon
Wilmington getting a larger proper
ton of the fund. Under the law as
proposed at present Wilmington would
not get enough money from the state
in the next two years to construct one
school building of the kind and size
now being constructed there. There
is provision in the bill that districts
desiring new schools shall themselves
raise certain percentage of the cost
of the building before new school
can be erected. This will probably be
fixed to definite proportion before
the bill is presented to the Legisla-
ture.
Other Matters Taken Up By Baord
The state board received the vote
of the special Claymont school tax
election recently held, showing 285
votes for the special tax and 229
against the tax. A report on the Hol-
lymount School in Sussex county,
which was destroyed by fire on De-
cember 13, was presented TO the board
and action will be taken as soon as
can be made. The board
also approved of the school hours for
the Middletown School from $50 a.
m. to II noon, and from 12.45 p. m.
to 3.45 p. m.