Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-03-01
The Town School system.

By an act of the Legislature, passed last
fall, which has quite recently been published
in all the State papers, the public are, or
ought to be informed of proposed change
in the common school system of this State
1t is to be presumed that some towns have
taken sufficient interest in the subject to
cause to be inserted in their warning for the
coming March meetings the required notice,
to direct the action of the voters to a consid-
Grafton and decision of the question. The
netOness of the proposed change, or the want
Of familiarity with the details and provisions
of the law, may operate against its adoption,
but that there are merits in the town, over
the district system in some particulars, has
been well demonstrated in the neighboring
State of Massachusetts, "a State that 1t Is no
humiliation to quote or copy in relation to
school matters And the Free Press well
says, in speaking of the proposed change:
1t is moi an untried experiment. 1t is not
an abolishiDg of the public schools-anything
but that. 1t does not necessarily involve
lessening of the number of the schools in
town. 1t is not proposition to control the
rights of the people. 1t is nothing that will
lessen the privileges of any scholar. 1t is
nota plan-desirable as some such plan might
be, as we look at the case-to compel the peo-
pie to spend more money on the public
schools. 1t is none of these"
The law provides, in the first place, that
towns may vote to abolish the district system,
and that the selectmen must put article
in the warning for that purpose. Then, if
the town votes TO abolish districts, the voters
are to elect from three to six directors, as
central board, who take the place of the old
prudential committees of the districts, and
have like full powers in the employment of
teachers and care of the school property, and
pay the expenses by drawing warrants there
for on the town treasury. They also decide
how many schools shall be maintained, and
where. They are sworn to a faithful dis
charge of their duty, and all except one of
their number, to be chosen as chairman of
the board, who is to discharge the duties as
signed to town superintendents, are to serve
without pay, the chairman to receive the pay
allowed superintendents, with such addition
as the town sees fit to vote him.
The directions for the appraisal of the
property of the existing districts, which be-
comes the property of the town, are simple
and well defined, and all questions that can
arise from the union of districts lying in diff
ferent towns, are provided for.
If the town system is adopted, the nine
cent school tax now required by law will
not be assessed, but in lieu thereof tax for
schools not less than twenty-five cents, and
not more than fifty cents on the dollar, will
be assessed by the selectmen. 1t Is optional
with town whether it spends more money
than this on it's schools or not.
1t is claimed for this system that it will
bring into this central board, which is to
have the control of all the schools in town,
a class of men better qualified than
could be expected to be found in all
cases upon the prudential committees of
school districts. OF course each town has
the matter in it's own hands, and Will decide
as to it seems best.