Smyrna times., 1926-09-08
CONSOLIDATION OF SCHOOLS
AND NEEDY REPAIRS DISCUSSED
MAGNOLIA-C GROVE SITUA-
TION PRESENTED AT MEETING
Many COlOred and Some White Schools
Have Not Been Kept in First-Class
COnditiOn-New Repair Law


Consolidation Of one and two teach
er schools and a bit of needed legis-
lation concerning repairs to schools in
rural sections were important details
Of the business considered at the
meeting of the State Board of Educa-
ton on Wednesday. The consolida-
ton problem, like taxes, is something
that the State Board has with it all
the time and the business last week
dealt with some of the acts of the
State Board at its last sessions when
several districts were combined.
At the meeting on Wednesday the
residents Of Cedar Grove appeared be-
fore the State Board and presented
reasons why the action of the board
in combining Cedar Grove with Mag
nolia, should either be approved again
or rescinded. There appears to be a
division of sentiment in Cedar Grove,
some Of the parents Of pupils being
willing to send their children to Mag
nolia because it is much closer than
FELTON,. Others wish to send their
children to FELTON, because it is their
shopping and social center and because
it has a high school, which Magnolia
does not.
The Magnolia children who want
high school education have been go
ing to Caesar Rodney.
The trustees in the district having
jurisdiction over Shorts 122 in Sussex
county have solved the consolidation
problem by writing to Dr.. Harry Y.
Holloway, state superintendent Of
public instruction and stating that
they intend to keep the school closed.
Shorts 122 was one of the schools that
the State Board at its last meeting
agreed to have remain open, but con
ditions that have arisen since that
time, have induced the trustees to
close the school,
New Laws on Repairs For Schools
The proposed new legislation which
it is expected the board will have
drafted into bill for presentation to
the General Assembly, deals with the
keeping of the rural schools of the
state in proper condition. According
to a survey made by the Delaware
School Auxiliary Association, the
State Department of Education has
learned that many of the colored
schools and some white schools have
not been kept in first-class condition.
Practically all Of the colored schools
are new having been constructed
through the generosity of Pierre S.
dupont and it is because of the fact
that keeping them in condition is a
matter of economy and will make
them last longer that some members
of the Board of Education believe
some other method than the one now
in vogue should be used. It is expect
ed that any move along this line will
meet with some opposition, because,
at this time, repairs to school build
ings are left to the local boards of
trustees to look after. Each school is
allowed $50 a teacher year for re-
pairs and maintenance. Under the
present plan of keeping the buildings
up the State Board has no jurisdic-
ton over the repairs only to provide
the trustees with this safe appropria-
tion.
AS most of the trustees are engag-
ed in agricultural pursuits, and con-
sequently are busy through the sum
mer when the repairs should be made,
little if anything is done about need
ed Improvements until few weeks
before the time to start school in the
fall, and then there is grand rush
to make the needed repairs. As
consequence, it is physically impos-
sible for the various board Of trustees
who have neglected the matter of re-
pairs, to make all that are necessary
by the time school opens.