Smyrna times., 1927-03-30
FAVORABLE REPORT ON STATE
SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAM
SENATE COMMITTEE PRESENTS
SUBSTITUTE WITH CHANGES
Amount of $1,OOO,OOO Each Year For
Two Years Instead of $2,000,000
If the Surplus Is Sufficient

| If the Surplus Is SufhcIent
The Senate committee on education,
ofw hich Senator Harry M. Deputy is
chairman, after several weeks of de-
Liberation, Thursday, reported favor
ably the school building program bill,
one of the most important measures
pending before the Legislature The
bill is a substitute for the original
and differs in many respects from the
proposed act that was first introduc-
ed One of the biggest changes is
the possible reduction of $1,000,000 of
the sum available for the next fiscal
year. The original bill called for a
positive appropriation of $2,000,000
for the construction, repairs and ad-
ditions to school buildings in all parts
of Delaware. The $1,OOO,00O fund is
made available each year for the next
two years, with the proviso that if
there is not that much money in the
treasury surplus next year then only
the amount that is in hand can be
expended. The same applies to the
following fiscal year. There could be
no drafts on the general fund to make
up the $1,0OO,000 each year under this
act.
No Increase For City Of Wilmington
The bill does not change the
amount that is to go to Wilmington.
That city will receive two-ffths of
the total sum available each year but
it will be cut down in proportion if
less than $1,000,000 is in the treasury
for this building program.
Another radical change in the sub
stitute from the original is the crea-
tion Of the School Building Commits
sion to have charge of the construc-
tion work in each district. In the
original the State Board Of Education
would have prepared a tentative pro
gram for school building improve
ments for such of the districts outside
of Wilmington, wherein the buildings
were inadequate. These plans were
to have been submitted to the local
boards for their approval. If salts
factory the State Board would deter
mine the site and have charge of the
building work.
New Building Commission
The substitute provides that the
School Building Commission shall be
composed of the State Board of Edu-
cation and four members to be elect
ed by the voters Of each district at
the same time as the bonds to be is
sued by the districts are authorized.
The members SO elected would serve
during the life of the School Build
ing Commission for each district. The
four members so elected would have
equal authority with the members Of
the State Board of Education Thus
the building work in each district
would be in charge of commission
Of eight, the four members of the
State Board and the four men elect
ed by the district The local boards,
therefore, would have nothing to do
with the actual construction opera
tions after these boards had given
their approval to the plans for the
improvements.
No school district outside Of Viii
mingtOn could participate in the ST.
100000 fund unless the district con-
tributes such sum Of money toward
the payment Of the cost of the i'm
provements as the State Board shall
assign as the contribution of the dis
trict. The amount to be contributed
by district would be determined by
the State Board as follows:
Districts Must Aid for Appropriation
Where no school building improve
ments have been made in the district
since January 1,1900, the contribution
of the district would be a sum equal
to 5 per cent of the assessed value of
the real and personal property in the
district as shown by the county as
sessment in force during the year
1919. Where any school building i'm
provements have been made in any
district since January 1, 1900, the
contribution would be a sum equal to
per cent. of the assessment in the
district as shown by the county as
sessment in force during the year
1919, less the aggregate amount of
the bonds of the district issued since
1900 without regard to whether any
or all of them had been paid, pro-
vided, however, that no district shall
have credit for bonds which have been
paid by the State. Where school
building improvements have been
made aforesaid the State Board shall
make the deductions aforesaid, and
the remainder, if any, shall constitute
the amount which the district must
contribute toward the payment of the