Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1871-05-18
To the Voters of Shenandoah county:

Inc voters Oh SHENANDOAH county:
AS the question of Tax for the support
of the Public Schools of the county " i'll be
submitted, for the first time, at the ensu-
ing election, | deem /: my duty TO pub
lish d statement explanatory of~the law
upon the subject The school law, Sec
ton | i. sub. sec. 2. says: at shall be
the duty ofth, County Superintendent to
take the needful steps, UNDER the direc-
ton of,the Superintendent of Public In
struction, to submit to the voters Of each
county, the question whether the county
shall raise additional sums by taxation
therein for the support of public free
schools, not exceeding the amount of the
pportionment from the State" Section
ga, says: 1.-THE sense of the voters Of
any county in regard to the raising Of ad-
ditional sums by taxation for the support
of public free schools IN the county for
the next scholastic year, shall be taken
every year in connection with the town
ship election in May, notice Of such special
election having been given at least thirty
days before such election. by advertise
ment at the front door of the court house
of the county, and at one voting place in
the township"
1t will be readily seen that the result
of the election. will effect US for only one
year The Public School System is upon
US. Many are under the impression hat
they can vote down the System. This is
not the case The question to be decided
is whether you are willing to pay tax of
one mill upon the dollar in order to sup
Element the funds received from the
State. If this tax should be carried. the
Trustees will be able to establish all the
schools necessary for the accommodation OF
the entire county. If it should be de-
feated, schools will, - all probability, be
established as they have been during
the last year. Some communities will
receive the benefits of the system. while
others will be denied the same, or the
schools must be supported partly by
private funds and partly by state funds.
The Importance of giving to Trustee
a sufficient amount to pay the entire cx-
penses of the schools will bessappreciated
by every one who will carefully consider
the subject.
At the same time the trustees Of the
respective districts will submit PROPOSE
ton to tax their district for the purpose
of building school houses, and paying
tie necessary expenses of the School Dis
trict. This tax will be small in each
district, as the Trustees have determined
to build no new school houses during the
ensuing year unless they are absolutely
necessary The law provides that mo
school district shall receive any part Of
the funds unless it has made provision
fer school houses, furniture, apparatus.
text books for INDECENT ch ildren and all
other means and appliances needful for
the successful operation of the Schools"
The result it is seen, of voting down the
D istrict Tax will be to deprive the is
trict of the benefit of the entire school
fund 1t would be folly to vote down o
| small tag, and thereby lose the benefit Of
the larger tax which we would pay.
We have deemed it only necessary TO
present til csc facts to the voters of the
county to show the Importance of voting
for the County and District Tax.
TO appreciate the advantages of the
present system we must give it fair
trial. During the last year the system
has had many difficulties to contend with
among which was the want of competent
teachers. The county Superintendent
deemed it important to the interests of the
county that as many schools as possible
should be opened. and in order to give
every community school, in some cases,
employed teachers who would not have
been employed under other circumstances
The supply of we'll qualified teachers is
constantly increasing, and we are in hopes
that we may open the next session under
more favorable circumstances. | will
only add that we shall endeavor from
year to year TO mako the system more ef9
cient, until it shall meet with the wants
of the entire community, and furnish 10
only the most efficient but the cheapcs
system of educating our children.
Very Respectfully,
JNO. 81. GRABILL,
County Sapt. of Schools