The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-03-22
Report of the Superintendent of Schools
in st JOhnsbury for 1861.


July by the appointment of the selectmen, on
account of the resignation Of the regularly
chosen officer and after the close of most of
the summer schools, shall not be expected
to make so full report Of the condition OF
the schools in this town as otherwise might
have made.
Inasmuch as the school registers are rot
returned to the town clerks office till the
2lst of March, cannot give the statistics of
the schools for the current year, but will give
some for the year ending March q, 1860.
The amount expended for teachers wages,
board, fuel and inciiei tails, for the year end
ing as above. was $3lI1.11. Quite a large
sum in addition to this was expended in the
erection of new school houses and the repair
of old ones. The average length of the
schools vas 2i! weeks district No. > having
the longest school, 3ls wecks-and Nos. lG
and II the shortest, Is weeks. The amount
expended for each person III town between
and Is years old was S341. The amount
Of public money received BY the town eNclu-
''' u u''''''' W. Was ; ''''i- "ii' ''''
".l'"''' i"'Seu o'' 'i'e gran" 49, 'N'''s''' VI
No. II was S27l9.4S. The largest amount
'"''a y" q q anu ''s' |" PIol'oi'io' 10 ''-e
''0"oe' u ''''oia's was III NO. l. "nelc
$1,000 or ~ "a for every rerSOn between (
anu . was i"'seo' Inc "iio!e h"moef oil
Pe'S0''' IN 'o"A oel"ee' al" - as report
'o Was u . ol "h'ch oS'rIct Ne. | has the
largest "u''oeF' of f'l' ana No. = me small
est l. me average attendance amounted
~ "a . "t ABOUT ." per cent Inc "hoe
number VINO nave attended school during
'he terms OF largest attendance Is ia, OF
heafi! - per cent lak!nS The average OF
All the terms, It amounts TO CD. or nearly
o' per cent OF all the children between and
Is
In No. SIX schools were maintained and
III No. . two. during the past year No. !
had schools No. two; AID No. Is two
during the winter And in these districts
as well as No. :, No. T. and No. .. the
School year was divided into three terms.
Some Of the school houses III his town ale
IN very good c0ndltluu,othcrs n bad V con
>tructed and sadly OUT of repair would
mention the house IL No. at radGo. k,
Village Is tn best constructed house IN
town. The plan is such IS NAY well b" a
dopte,! by other districts, thst NAY wish 10
build smaller and less expensive houses
some of the houses IN town nigh; be much
improved by 4 few dollars spent ii repairs.
! l. is much easier preserving house from
destruction II i b" kept II good repair, and
every way neat and comfortable, than il .oo>e
and deiaccd piasterinS ana whitfield benches
and broken pannels be negl'c;yu. Ii Is 4
S"od investment Oh money to paper the walls
"' i Sc''o"I rooM' All 'h' houses are pfoNd-
ed to some extent with bach-boar,!>. These
should be kept well painted. | should be
Si"o 10 see each Schooi-r"om surpll'd with a
dlc'onary' say "ebSlerS unabridged. y
small sum ought to be applied every year TO
me purchase 0! some OF those articles nccts-
sary to School-room. such a> outline map>,
globe, etc
One OF the duties OF the superintendent Is
'he examination OF teachers. on the proper
discharge OF his duty IN TINS respect mitch OF
me value OF ms once to the districts oc-
Pehus' III 'hc oiSch"fse O! ms duty the NiSt
question lhal arises ls,"hat standard "l qua.-
i'icaVohs Sha!I ne required IN the randl"atc
Tor Incense: There can be 10 question hat
'hat the quaililcat'ons o: too many u those
VINO receive lcenses 90 not cone UP to any
very hISh standard. Licenses are ottci.
granted 10 incompetent persons because tie
superintendent 'eeIs that II would be difficult
II ho' Impossible TO procure teachers OF the
requisite qu"iinca'ioEs Tor the wages patN
besides doubt is sometimes fell whether a
suilic'eh' humoef OF properly quaIlii"d per
sons can be procured at any rate. In some
schools the money expended is worse than
thrown away because OF inefficient tcac hers
1t Is much better that the term should be
shortened somewhat, IT by the means money
enough may be had to secure the services of
> good teacher rather than that it should be
> len sthened by employing an Indifferent or {
poor one. 1t IS to be hoped that higher
grade of teachers than We have been able tC