Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-02-23
From st. Adams Messenger.
The Town System of Schools.

The Legislature of Vermont at it's last
session passed one of the most important
laws affecting our common schools that
has ever been placed on our Statute books
It becomes the citizens of our various
towns to carefully examine its provisions,
that they may be prepared at next Free
mans Meeting to act iutelligently upon it
Neither blind acceptance of it nor a
careless rejection or postponement of it is
desirable.
The provisions of the law are briefly
these The town is authorized, il it so
vote, to abolish all district organizations,
and control the schools of the town itself,
through School Committee elected an
nuslly at the March Town Meeting. The
taxes for the support of all the schools
would fall equally upon all portions of the
town, and the amount. of taxations for
schools would be determined by vote of
the town.
The school houses would all pass into
the hands of tho town, provision being
made for an sppraisement of the value of
rhe several houses belonging to the dis
triots. SO that the districts would receive
their property. Provision also is made
that no district is discharged from any
debt previously made till it be paid.
The town committee are to maintain
schools as now, at such points rs will best
and most economically accommodate the
different sections of its territory. The
scholars of the town sre not restricted to
any one school, but may attend any
-, h. snh har al
These are the main provisions of the bill
Let us examine them somewhat in detail,
and consider some objections that arise,
and notice the advantages it offers over
our present system.
To the objection that it gives the town
a power that is arbitrary, and likely to be
used to Cypress the citizens in outlying
portions of its territory, it can be replied !:
1st, That it has that power now. The
town has absolute authority 10 change
district lines now. Yet the cases are rare
where that power is abused. I'd, To
counterfeit the danger arising from the
possession of this arbitrary power there
are these two facts and forces: First,
the different portions of town hold a
balance of power that will secure Justice.
One remote neig hborhood would not con.
sent to the wronging Of another lest it
should in time be wronged. Secondly,
there exists in quite portion OF all our
voters Christian conscience or at least q
respect for justice, to which persons can
appeal with assurance of being heard.
These two forces will be sufficient in SO
small constituency as a single town, to
counteract all danger of an oppressive use
of its arbitrary power.
The objection that the school houses of
the several districts are not of uniform
value is dictated by the provisions of the
law for sppraisement. One advantage of
having the school houses all owned by a
town must not be omitted here. Where a
school house is burned now, the burden of
rebuilding is often a severe one because a
few persons have to raise the money in a
short time. If the town owned the school
houses it would have the effect of insur-
anee by distributing the expense of re-
building upon a larger number.
To the objection that central commit.
tee would not have the interest in the
several school that the local committees
now have, it can be replied that that is a
supposition hardly probable, for that sys-
tenn il reduced as near to nothing as is
possible. Under our present system our
school committees have so little money to
spend, and we are the objects of such pet
ty and capricious jealousy and criticism.
that they cannot do their work we'll.
Neighborhood quarrels that grew in some
way out OF the action of school committee
are now of the most common occurrence,
and of most disastrous results both to
schools and to the peace of the neighbor-
hood.
But it will be asked. how will this Gen.
trail committee have more money to spend
upon particular school than the local
committees have. They will not have
more unless the town consent tomaintain
fewer schools or vote more money! But
l will not discuss here the disturbances
of having schools consolidated, for that is
not an essential part of the town system
under consideration. hope no one will
oe so simple as to suppose that the yari-
Gus OBJECTIONS which can be urged to a
plan proposed few weeks ago in the Mes.
sengtr by the writer of this, for maintain-
ing graded schools in sparcely settled.
portions of our Commonw wealth. are .onal.
ly objections by the town system now un.
der discussion. The two plans have no
necessary connection. That plan is to be
discussed upon its own merits and can be
used under the old law or the new. I'm.
der the present law the towns can main.
tain schools in just the same localities in
which they maintain them now, only BY
different mode of administration. And
this brings us to the principal advantage
offered by the new syatesn It lis flexible.
It can be made to do just the work which
public sentiment wants to do. It can be
made To do easily for nuhlic sor<;uart