Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-05-23
Local
The County Schools.

made his official tour Of the SCHOOLS, re-
ouest WAS addressed him for such infor-
nation about them as would be OF inter-
est to the public. lie has sent in reply
the following very clear and concise s5ate-
ment. We are sure he cut states the de-
sire of the whole county when he urges
on the Board of Supervisors hberailty IN
| measures affecting tie schools, and nom
| the mast record of the members OF Jne
Board for wise liberallty we reel sure
| that there will be no trouble on tila1 score.
| IT will be seen that the schools commence
the next year with a greatly Improved
prospect;
Editors Vi,adic0tor,
Gent]emen:-In accordance with your
REQUEST 1 shall for the information OF all
concerned give you short account OF the
school affairs of the county for the last
school year, which will close On the first
Of July next, and the prospects for the next.
| THE FINANCIAL PROSPECT.
I The beginning of the present school year
found the county in debt for teachers,
wages, the schools having been run under
the confident expectation of State aid which
proved so meagre as to be almost worth
less. Under this state of things when the
school officers came to lay their plans for
the present year, they were compelled to
take into consideration the deficit for the
last wear, which had to be supplied out OF
this year and that out Of the county fund,
as experience had taught them they coulo
look for very little FROM the State. In the
next place they, as l have said, had to put
tue States fund entirely out OF their CAL
culation as any receipts tnerefiom were
too doubtful to be Gale ulaIed upon. There
remained therefore nothing to be depended
upon but the county fund, which the Su-
pervsors generously AID wisely made as
large as they could. This being, as l have
said, partially consumed in the payment
Of back pay to teachers, twas evident that
fewer schools could be run Or that help
must be had from out iGe sources.
DISTRICT WITHOUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
One of the districts ind the one with
the greatest number Of schools, Middle
River, found herself so much involved as
to require the whole of her this years
county fund to pay OFT old scores, and did
not attempt to run any schools as public
schools at all, thougl. the sehool-houses
belonging to the district were opened for
private teachers wherever one could be
found who could raise school, and
in this way good many OF them were
occupied. The other stricts not being so
heavily indebted determined to 40 the best
they could under the circumstances. Two
courses were opened TO them, one to
run only SO many SCHOOLS as The fund
would allow and locate them where in
their discretion seemed best in their dis
trict, and another to divide the money
they had out among the schools and open
one wherever the patrons would supple
I ment sufficiently to secure the services Of
a teacher. Riverheads and Pastures adop-
E ted the first plan and North River, South
River and Beverly Manor the latter.
WHAT DISTRICTS RAN SCHOOLS.
u. Riverheads ran white schools, two of
them graded and one colored. they were
all good schools, but the districts where
none were located of course were dissat-
isfied; it takes "a schools to supply this
district.
Pastures ran eight white schools, one of
n them graded, school sith three teachers
and three colored schools: this district has
: 81 when all are running.
North River ran IS white schools, one
at Mt. Zion with two teachers and two
colored schools-twen 1.-TWO is the full
complement for this district
South River ran Is white schools, one of
which at Waynesboro was graded school,
and four colored schools, one Of which at
Waynesboro deserves 20 be commended
the complement of this district is 25.
Beverley Manor ran eleven white schools
one Of them. West End, graded school,
with three teachers and five colored
schools; the full number for this district
is nineteen.
So it will be observed that of the 1s9
schools counting Middle Rivers 2s) that
should have been run, there were only "a
in all open. This is but beggarly account
of empty boxes for great county like
this, but l think the prospect for the fu-,
ture brighter.
PROSPECT FOR NEXT YEAR.
Next year we shall start, comparatively
free from debt, and we hope our Board of
Supervisors will give us the limit allowed.
and with what we shall get from the State
under the Henkel bill we hope to be able
to start the whole number of schools The
district tax which is for district purposes.
building, buying land, rents, repairs, fuel.
school books for poor children and con-
| mil ,l,,sI I
people for two or three years. longer and
we shall have houses built and paid for in
all quarters OF the county; but we sincere
| ly hope there will be no slackening lust
yet on the part OF our supervisors and peu-
pie as it would be very hard on those COM
munities who have all along cheerfully
paid their tax to build houses in other sec.
lions of the district, to find the doors clos
ed when they come to ask for theirs, and
short time longer will put us out of the
woods.
! sCHOOL-HOUsEs ERECTED.
| In Rlverheads last Year there weie four
| new houses built; Middle River, four:
| North River, four; the other reports from
district clerks are not i'll ana am not able
to give tie number built.
THE TEA CHEERS.
There were some very good teachers last
year, Employed at very poorly remunerativa
prices. and there were others who wera
not very good and therefore very well paid
atany price. 1t will be my objectto weed ont
these inferior teachers as fast as practi
cable, but some will necessarily have to ba
employed as what we can pay will NOT com