Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1855-02-01

TOT He EdsfeTh ItHaes
experimenting School Committees and
School Agents.

wish to occupy column Of your paper with
some thoughts and suggestions, touching the
authority, powers and duties of School Com
mittees and School Agents, the manner in
which the law prescribes that they shall be
chosen, and the position which our city now
occupies in this respect. If, before close, l
should show that our city occspes very an
omalous position, and that we have in fact
no officers who are legally authorized to en-
ploy teacher, purchase load of fuel, or
touch one cent of the money raised for school
purposesr-that all acts of the committee in
this respect since 1851 have been assumptions
OF power without law-the fruits of mere
blunder, then let our people look into the mat
ter, see if such are not the exact facts in the
case, and instead ofpersisting in an awkward,
illegal blunder, set about correcting them
selves and putting things right.
On the 9th of August, 1850, an act was
approved by the Governor "to provide for the
education of youth" TO take effect on the LIST
of March, 1851. The last article of the act
referred to repeats the 18th chapter of the Re-
vised Statutes, and serenteen acts and addi-
tional acts passed subsequently to the revision
of the statutes, all bearing upon the subject Of
education, leaving nothing anterior to the
Act of August, 1850. by which TO govern
towns in the elections of their committees and
agents, or defining the duties, powers and au-
thority of such committees and agents when
chosen Section 8, OF Article l, is as fol-
lows =
Every town Cor city, at its annual meet
ing in the year $780, shall choose by ballot
Experimenting School Committee, consisting
of three persons. who, at their first meeting,
shall designate by lot one member of their
board to remain in office three years; also an
other member, to remain in Office two years,
and the remaining member shall hold his of
fee one year. Every town, at each
annual meeting after 1851, shall choose by
ballot. one person 10 supply the place OF that
member of the committee whose term of SER
vice has expired, which office he shall hold
for the term of three years, &C.
Section 8, article L, provides that ''any
town, at its annual meeting for the choice of
officers, may vote to choose, and in such case
shall choose an agent for each school district
in such town.
Section 10, Article 2, says, every school
district, at its annual meeting, shall choose by
ballot a school agent, unless such agent shall
be chosen by the town, as provided in article
first, section third, (the section quoted above)
and such agent shall be sworn. &c."
Here we have the law, and, without spe-
cial Standing rote of the town or city council, to
which | shall refer hereafter) the only law by
which towns are 10 be governed in the choice
of their committees and agents. Now what
are the duties of these officers Article 5,
section L, Of the Act before US, says, ''All
Experimenting School Committees appointed
as provided by law, shall perform the follow
ing duties, to witt Then follows long list
of duties which briefly summed up are as fol-
lows
FIRST, To fill vacancies in their own board
until the next annual town meeting, &c.
Secondly, To appoint times and places for
the examination of candidates proposing to
teach In town.
Thirdly, To examine candidates for teach
ers, and if found competent, &C., to give GER
tificates
F61th,u, To direct the general course of
instruction, and what books shall be used,
&c.
Filthy, To visit and inspect the schools,
&c.
&nhly, To dismiss teachers for cause.
Serenthly, To expeI scholars for cause, and
to restore them on evidence of reformation.
Eghthly, To exclude if expedient, scholars
for. not being vaccinated.
Ninthly, (and lastly) To make written re-
port to the annual meeting next after their
appointment, of the standing of the schools,
&C.
The section following the above, defines
the matters upon which the committee shall
report, but nowhere as vet do we find one
word authorizing the committee to hire teach
ers, to procure fuel, or to do any other labor
by which money would have to pass through
| their hands. This labor, as we shall see, de-
wolves upon another and different class of Off
GERS. This is the labor of school agents; Of
fcers chosen either by towns or school dis
tricts, for one year only. What is the law!
Article 6, section l, says:
&c School agents, whether elected by the
town or their respective districts, shall be du-
ly sworn and shall continue in Office one
year. &c., .and their duties and powers
shall be as follows"
Fira, In the month of March or April, an
nually to call district meeting, &c.
Secondly, To hire the school masters or ms
tresses for their respective districts, from the
mony assigned them, &c.
Thirdly, From the same to prouide fuel and
utensils necessary for the school, to make in
cidentalrepairs, &c. ......
During the first year of our existence as a
city, under the old and now repealed law, the
city council passed a vote to have nine SUI
perintending school committee, and to confer
upon them the powers OF school agents. Sub.
sequently, think the number was reduced to
three, and so things continued until the pas
sage of the ''Act for the education of youth, -
August 1850, 10 go into effect the LIST Of