Smyrna times., 1963-03-28
Townsend
School Dist.
To Hold
Referendum

polls on April 27, 1868 to de-
eide on the merits of a refer
endum adding 20-cents to the
local tax rate. In a special
meeting Thursday, March IA,
members of the school board of
Townsend School, acknowledged
the need for additional funds to
attract teacher requirements
to the faculty of the eight grade
school In Townsend. The ann
omced referendum is a result
of that meeting.
Three Townsend teachers
have already announced plans to
retire after this school year. 1t
is known that at least one other
teacher will not be available
for the new school year begin
ming next September. School
board members are also con-
cerned about their ability to
persuade some others of the
present excellent faculty to
return if supplementary funds
are not made available to bring
teacher pays into line with those
prevailing In comparable
schools.
While the State of Delaware
does provide the basic funds to
pay teachers In all of the schools
In the state, 1t is the task of
each locally elected school
boards to hire the teachers.
The quality of the teacher en-
gagged depends to a very large
extent upon the available funds
at the disposal of the school
board for the purpose of sup
plementing the basic salary
provided by the state. Because
all other schools In New Cas-
tie County do provide additional
pay-incentives, the local Town
send School has been placed at
a disadvantage in the procur-
ement of teachers.
sit is the simple TRUTH, said
Henry E. Crawford. principal
of Townsend School, ''to say
that our teachers are at the
bottom of the pay scale in New
Castle County. For the most
part our teachers have remain
ed with us so long only because
they have strong ties to the
local community. New teachers
without these ties and without
matching salaries are not likely
to select Townsend. unless
they are rejected elsewhere"
Fred Robinson, an inde-
pendent building contractor nv-
ing near Blackbird and one of
a committee leading the drive
for the referendum, presented
statistical support to the Par
ent Teachers Association of
the Townsend School at its last
meeting. Robinson was not con-
tent In just showing that the tax
burden carried by the people of
the Townsend Special School
District was considerably under
that of all other comparable dis
tricts In the state, but he de-
monstrated through charts and
graphs that even should the pro-
posed 20-cent increase be ap-
proved by the voters the tax
burden carried by the local dis
trict would still be among the
lowest In Delaware.
eff we want to maintain a
highly qualified teaching Staff.
explained Leon Henderson. also
of Blackbird, who is the current
president of the Townsend
School PTA, 1--WE must find the
money for this kind of staff.
We must assist the school board
and the principal of the school
In attracting to the Townsend
School career teachers of real
talent to fill such openings as
may arise"
Both Henderson and Robinson
have pointed out to interested
persons that the 20-cent incre-
ase mainly for teacher pay sup
plements is much less than
some people have been lead to
believe. The 20-cent levy being
discussed Is based upon each
$l00 of the assessed value of
a property owners holdings. If
the assessed value is 5000,
the per annum tax increase is
only So. If the assed value is
$4,000, the per annum increase
is $8. For a SIS, 900 assessment
the increase is $40. For $4,000
the increase is $l2. And SO on.
Because the average assessed
valuation of all properties In
the affected district is less
than $4,000, most tax payers
would be required to pay consi-
derably less than $40 more each
year than they have been paying.
"For what small actual in
crease the average properly
holder must pay" said Hender-
son, "the people of Townsend
Special School District will be
able to buy the very best edu-
cation possible for the child
rem of our community. 1t is the
very best investment possible
they can make for the comm :
unity and for themselves"
Committees from among the
membership of the PTA of
Townsend School have been for
med to explain the purposes of
the referendum TO the voting