Smyrna times., 1926-09-22
KENT SCHOOLS INSPECTED
UnfavOrable Conditions are Found at
Frederica, FELTON, and Other Places

l OIA oDAC SOHuIt1OIS are FOu1u at
Frederica, FELTON, and Other Places
After traversing several hundreds
of miles of dusty dirt roads through
out Kent county on the second lap of
its tour Of inspection of the state
schools, the State Board of Education
concluded that one Of the best meth
DDS Of solving the small attendance
and numerous inadequate schools was
by the consolidation of several dis
tricts. The board observed through
out its trip Thursday that many of
the one-room schools are suffering
chiefly from neglect On the part of the
local school trustees. The most out
standing example Of this was the con
dition Of the public school at Hartly
that had been built only two years
ago with fund appropriated by the
General Assembly and the Delaware
School Auxiliary.
Among the one-room schools some
of the buildings are suffering from
lack of paint; the desks have been
outrageously "'knife handled" and in
some instances, windows are missing,
thereby subjecting the pupils to the
cold draughts during the winter.
Frederick Situation Amazed Directors
Of all the principal school plans Wis
tied the most amazing and outstand-
ing because of its seeming unftness
for educational purposes was the
Frederick High School, In 1919 the
board of trustees in that town were
informed that if they wished to have
a high school they would have to buy
an extra building.
Consequently, the Kent County
Board of Education purchased a pri-
vate dwelling house for S2,400 and
converted it into a high school. At
present 50 pupils are enrolled, Of
which 80 are high school pupils.
When the State Board arrived in
Frederick it encountered a puzzle pic
ture: Find the school" On the sec
ond floor, the board found that small,
stuffy bed rooms are being used for
class rooms.
The building itself is about 100
years old and very poor in appear
ance. It was bought with the under
standing that the school was to be
temporary one, but evidently it will
continue to be 50 until the State
Board comes to the rescue.
The elementary school is not as bad
as the high school. The chemistry
laboratory is stationed several squares
away in an old frame building adjoin-
ing barnyard.
One-ROOm School Hunt
Throughout the afternoon, the board
drove over some Of the typical coun-
try roads, hunting out the one-room
schools in all sorts of environments.
At Oak Grove school, in the midst
of swamp, the board was almost
routed out of the building by flies and
mosquitoes.
In FELTON, discouraging conditions
were witnessed. Here the high school
classes were housed in the old FELTON,
Academy. In some towns the wall
paper hangs from the ceiling.
Touring Sussex
The Board of Education Friday
toured Sussex county on its last lap
of the three-day tour Of the schools
of the state. The board found that
the schools in the northern part of
the county were in fairly good condi-
ton. The one-room schools were of
the better type.
The problem at Milford was one Of
congested school room. At Cedar
Grove Slaughter Neck School condi-
tions were fairly good, chiefly because
the teachers in those schools have
been there for more than one year.
The school in the Williams district was
not 50 good. The buildings need paint
ing and the children were seated three
in a seat. In the Williams school 33
are enrolled and seven were absent.
The reason for this was the fact that
the harvest season is now in full
swing.
Throughout the inspection the board
was confronted with the question Of
what to do in such schools where the
children are employed on the farms.
1t was the thought Of DR.. Holloway
that a special course should be ar
ranged for these pupils. The board
found unfavorably conditions in Mil
ton.