The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-10-28
SCHOOL AFFAIRS.
Arbitrary Rulings by Boards of
Education.
PENNsBoRo. w, V;

PENNsBoRo, w. Va, October 2l
Editors of the Register:
As very much is being said about our
Free Schools during this election cam
paign, desire to submit few facts and
propositions to the consideration of your
many intelligent readers. There GER
tainly has been manifested by some Of
our Boards OF Education an unusual
degree Of ignorance, or an extreme
amount of rascality in the exercise OF
their powers. draw these conclusions
from the following facts which came
under my immediate notice.
was present at one Of the meetings
of the Board in Union township in this
county, and there heard an honest
trustee pleading with all the fervor Of
his soul for the rights OF his district.
The nature of the case seemed to be
this-owing to some unavoidable hind
rance his district had been some two
or three years behind in erecting n
school house and getting q school in
operation, Notwithstanding the Cit,
zens had paid their building and school
tax promptly into the Treasury, natur-
aly supposing it would remain there
untouched until they were ready TO use
it; calculating, and in my mind very
reasonably too, that their district
would be entitled to an extra month or
two OF schooling each year or that their
more fortunate neighbors would he
curtailed like amount until all shared
equally in the public money. But the
Board, despite the teachings Of the law,
the claims OF jnstice. and the dictates OF
common sense, decided that there was
no funds for more than three months
school annually in G :ch dis riot.
The second case was similar IN its
nature. In another district there was
quite a number of very small children,
some of whom could not get - the
school house when there was heavy
snow fallen on ecr ,unt ofno road being
beaten through the woods which they
had to traverse, while others were fire.
ouently kept at home by the swelling of
the branch over which they were
obliged to pass. Now this strict hav-
ing lost one term for want OF some
neces sary convenience, and in view of
the preceding facts in the case, the
Trustees and people, by mutual consent,
concluded to have a summerterm which.
with the winter term just ended, would
make month in that particular year.
A teacher was employed and the term
completed without any legal interior
ence, but when the order from the
Trustees was presented - the Board for
an order to the Treasury twas objected
to upon the same ground as in case
first. But by untiring perseverance
upon the part of the teacher the order
was finally allowed by depriving the
district Of school during the following
| winter.
A third case was in Tyler county.
The time allotted for \ term was three
months, but on account of indisposition
on the part Of the teacher there was a
deficiency Of one month in the winter
term of go, and in order to make up for
that, the trustees employ teacher for
four months during the winter follow
ing. But the Board notifies the trus-
tees to discontinue the school at the end
Of three months. A part Of the trustees
being possessed of a considerable de-
gree of common sense and spirit OF
determination, promptly reminded the
honorable Board that they had been as
sessed for three months of school each
year, and having unavoidably lost one
the preceding winter, they intended to
have it now, and intended them to pay
for it. The four months were accord
ingly completed, the trustees vouching
to the teachers for the payment of the
additional month, and by bold and
persevering demand for justice they
succeeded in drawing the whole amount
from the treasury.
Now / am aware that numerous in.
stances of this character have occurred
and doubtless have been disposed of in
like manner with the first mentioned,
and as attempted in the second and
third cases.
If these districts were assessed and
the tax collected as the Boards admitted
was the case, where is the money which
was failed to be used by those tardy