Smyrna times., 1950-06-15
OPEN MEETING
REFERENDUM
School Board to Discuss and
Answer Questions Regard
ing Bond Referendum
SPECIAL ELECTIONS

An open meeting is slated for
tomorrow evening at O'Clock in
the Smyrna School auditorium at
which time members of the school
board of the Smyrna Special School
District will discuss and answer
any questions regarding the forth
coming school bond referendum.
Friday, July Z, is the date set for
the two special elections. The first
referendum is to determine wheth-
er the Smyrna Special School Dis
trict Board of Education shall have
the authority to issue bonds in the
amount of $4,000 for the con-
struction of an elementary school
and such alterations of the present
school facilities to provide for an
increased school program. This
election will be conducted from l
pm. to 8 pm. DIST. The other
issue is to determine whether an
additional tax may be levied for
the purpose of school maintenance
and operating expenses, and this
vote will be taken from 2 pm. to
5 pm. DIST. Circulars describing
the need for the proposed program
and what it will entail were distrib-
uted by the School Board Tuesday
throughout Smyrna and were mail
ed to the rural areas. The State
of Delaware has already appropri-
ated $4,000 toward the expense
of the proposed building and alter
ations, this to be matched by the
community through bond issue
of not less than 100000. The
School Board has determined $240,-
600 as the amount needed to COM
plete the outlined program. This
$4,000 would be used for an addi-
tional elementary school building
which would permit the division of
grades into smaller pupil loads per
teacher and thus improve the
, teaching and learning situation as
well as free rooms from the pres
ent building for expansion of the
secondary school program. Curri-
culas in art and agriculture are de-
sirable additions to the high school
program, according to the recent
survey by the Middle States Asso-
citation. A high school principals S
Office and a guidance counsellor's
office are needed and the Board
feels that a lighted athletic field
would help school sports financial
1y. If the school bond referendum
is supported the estimated school
bond tax rate would be 80 cents
per $100 assessed valuation plus
81 capitation. If the additional
tax for maintenance and operation
expenses is approved, an additional
tax of 10 cents per $100 assessed
valuation plus 81 capitation will be
levied making total of 40 cents
per $100 assessed valuation and So
capitation. The present rate is six
cents and one dollar. This COM
pares favorable with the tax rate
in other districts where building
projects are underway. New
Castles rate is 33 cents; Ceasar
Rodney, 20 cents plus $4 capita
ton; A. 1. DUPONT, 25 cents; Har-
rington, 40 cents plus So; Dover,
28 cents plus So; Seaford, "a cents
plus So; Rehoboth, as cents; Mt.
Pleasant, so cents; Lewes, 40
cents; Claymont, 43 cents; Laurel,
20 cents plus So; Newark, 33 cents
plus So; Milford, 81 cents plus $5;
and Georgetown which has no
building program, 5 cents plus 81
capitation, which is similar to the
present Smyrna tax rate. Any tax
increases would not be effective
until July 1, 1851. School bonds
now outstanding in the district
amount to $500 and will be re-
tired in December of this year. In
urging the public to attend the
meeting and to vote, George w.
Wright, superintendent of schools,
said, 'Tt should be clearly under
stood that the greater the support
given by the voters to the school
bond issue, the more secure are the
Z bonds considered; hence, lower
interest rate and higher premium
when bonds are sold"
Death of Paul HutsOn