Milford chronicle., 1927-03-18
MILFORD, FRIDAY, MARCH IS, '27

THE March meeting held Tuesday
last by the Milford Board of Educa-
ton developed some facts which the
people are very much interested IN.
The needs for room in which to con-
duct classes and seat children has
reached the point where action must
be had. The story in full is lengthy
if the people are made to under
stand the cause for prevailing con-
ditions. At the reopening of school
in September there will be a con-
siderable increase in the number OF
children to be cared for by the Mil
ford Public Schools. This condition
is a result of many children having
moved to the School District OF
which Milford is a large part, but
who reside just beyond the town
limits and came from the rural dis
tricts for several miles around;
these are bona fide pupils of the
Special School District of Milford
and can not be turned down because
of non-residence.
In the first six grades Of the Mil
ford school, there is now exactly
twelve children from just outside the
school district; in the first grade
none: in the second grade, two; in
the third grade, three; in the fourth
grade. one; in fifth grade, two, and
sixth grade, four; only twelve in all
six grades. This shows that the chill
dren in these grades are practically
all our home products and entitled
to first consideration.
In the seventh and eighth grades
is the place where children from
outside the district are found to the
greatest number, and in those two
grades there are one hundred and
ten children who are transported by
the State. from surrounding school
districts-all in compliance with the
school laws Of Delaware. Each OF
these children coming to the Milford
Public Schools from other districts
entitle the Milford Special School
District to receive approximately
forty-six dollars annually for their
education. This aggregate amounts
to about $500 annually very
considerable sum for the support OF
the schools.
These 15O children in the primary
and grammar grades of the Milford
schools from outside districts, are
not crowding any child Of resident
narents within the Milford school
district, out of any Of the school
rooms operated by the Special
School District; and, just remember
the following particular point: VIZ;
At present there are three school
rooms in regular use for maintain
ing the school work in various
grades. which are outside the school
buildings owned by the Milford Pub
lie Schools. These three school
rooms are loaned to the Milford Spe-
cial School District, by the State
Board of Education, (now the pres
ent owner), and each have about 40
children working in them, or total
of 1875 children. Not all Of the chill
dren in the three rooms are from
: 4nutside school districts, because the
whole number is scattered through
the several grades and in other
rooms; so the fact is, that the state
is supplying three rooms and seat
ing capacity for practically all out
side children in the grammar and
primary grades.
The High School is composed OF
about 174 pupils at present, about
one-half, or more, of whom are from
outside districts. Each one Of that
number is worth approximately one
hundred dollars to the Milford Spe-
cial School District, or about $4,000.
The High School would have to be
maintained for our own children at
about the same cost in money, were
all outside pupils cut off.
Of course there are many details
which bear upon the attendance and
revenues resulting from it, by chill
dren from outside the district; but
the foregoing statement will briefly
show that the congested condition Of
the Milford schools, is not the re-
suit of admittance Of children from
outside districts; to the contrary,
they are an asset and help fnan-
cially. We need and must have more
school rooms next fall, or all chill
dren will go on half time.
@e@
WE CANNOT SEE any real rea-
son why the local school boards in
the Special School Districts, or men
who are selected by a referendum OF
the voters Of such districts, should
not be delegated to act with the
state Board Of Education in pro-
grams for building new school
buildings for such Special Districts.
AS a matter of fact, there are few
men acting on Special Boards Of
Educatiou, who have the time, or