Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-05-01
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sE roo .UOmmOn Schools,

My last article closed with reference 10
salaries Of School Com mnsissi ioners, shGii
make Q few romark on ,his subject and pass
itby. Until llastssyear the salaries Of tho
School Commissioners were paid BY the State.
The new school law requires that eaoh school
district shall pRy lie proportional share Of the
School Commissioper's salary, in proportion
to thonumber 81 pils attend ding ths schools.
Under this section Sof ths law eyery dollar
needessly paid 10 School Com mission ers lie
simply taking bread from the head Of Tho
pupils. The law requires that Ssthe Sobool
missioner shall visit the schools. What
does one visit amount to2 In my opinion it
amounts 70 nothing. i thinkif the. parents
of the papils would oil visit the school, say
the last Frday:aftetnoon in each month, IL
would encourage the teacher to try 10 advance
his pupils and show his patrons what he was
doing. iThreeidollhrss per- day paid TO School
Commissiopers ato visit schools think is
money foolishly spent without we had more
than We have. aFliif" e &'7p"9, 3si4a'bt22aa
'l2a rsAonERs' SALARIES. IS ~.
| hive stated that the teachers Of Ocopee
County, got, Gn, average salary Of males.
$l4.98; females; $l037 per month, the
smallest wages paid by any county lin the
State.,3 First grade teaohera get fiva cents,
second grade toncbors get four cents, third
grade tenohers get three cents per day for
each npil in attendance. believe this
countyis the only ono in the State that ON
ploys teaohers under the above method. 1t
isa'well known fact among The teachers Of
thid county Tint they seldom receive in full
the above small salary. There now remains
n balance duo tho teachers Of Oconeo County
for tho year 1877 I, 81 ,97l 93 for the year 1875,
Sl.l97.24; for the year 1876, 81 540,53; for the
yenr 1877, $l,S78.l2. Tho school funds lor,
1878 failed in two or .bree school dstrictsto
pay in full. am informed that the fund for
1870 will also fail in twu school districts to
pay in full. have been informed By our
School Commissioner tho oause Of the excess
Of Indebtedness for this yearis through thb
negligence of some of the teachers in filing
thcir mohthly reports, some of these eachers
holding their reports for three or four months.
Section d Of the school law says very plainly,
"that tho teachers must file their reports with
the Clerk Of the Board Of Trustees at tho
expiration Of each month";" think that the
teachers who wcrc puncsual in fling their
reports and complying with the law should
bcpaid in FULL and let tho loss tall on those
who, through thor negligence created this
debt, which will never bo paid.
Our local management of school affairs
think is very defective. Let us compare our
plan with that of our ncighboring County Of
Anderson III q few respects. In our county
the teachcrs turn out about the beginning of
the scholastic year and get their schools and
60 to teaching. Sometime during tho second
or third month they hunt up their nearest
trustee and get him to sign their monthly
report or reports Then in tho course of the
next two. thrco or four months file their
monthly reports withth School Commissioner.
Tho School Commissioners on receiving the
teaohera' reports enters tho claim on the
account book. by tho time all the teacl,crs'
monthly reports arc fled with tho commis-
sioher 1t is found that thcrc will not bo funds
sufficient to liqnidato the cnims of teachers.
III Anderson Tie School Commissioner
apportons tho school i4nd to tho several
school districts and publishes q statement
with instructions to the trustees and teachers.
The trusteca are required to hold II district
meeting on the first Saturday in each month
and receive teachers monthly reports on that
day and on that day only. The Clerk of the
Board of Trustees enters tho claims on the
district account book and MS he knows tho
amount OF funds due his district, and receiv-
ing tho teachers reports punotually, ho can
tell to.a day when to close the schools.
Any person can 500 ut n glance which plan
is the most business like.
Under our plan our school districts either
close their schools in debt or with funds on
hand to lie in tho county treasury until the
next year. I doubt if half tho boards Of
trustees in Oconeo County cnn Tell the amount
of public funds duo their districts to-, day.
How many Of our citizens can tell?
AS Ill accounts audited in tho County
commissioners Office are published. why not
make q statement of our school affairs? The
money for both Of these branches of tho public
service oomcs from tho people and they
onghtito know where it goes. H y a.
aaorB"u 81, PEABODY FUND.
have frequently been asked why Oconce
County does not receive aid from the munif-
cent donation made by Mr. George Penbody
to tho South? My answer is, that tho rules
laid down by The Financial Agent aud tho
Board Of Trustees of that fund arc such that
our schools cannot reach them. will hore
insert an abstract Of somo Of tho rules.
! |. The school must be FREQ common
I school, undcrIthc control Of tho local school
| authorities. ~ o1 ,. i,