The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-05-29
County Schools.
THE CONDITION AND PROSPECTS.


AS exhibiting the present condition and
prospects for the coming year of the public
schools OF Augusta county, we publish the
following communication from SuperIntend-
ant Grattan, which appeared in the Vindica-
tor last week. There is nothing in which
the people Of this or any other county are
more directly interested than in the Public
Schools, and tile Board of Supervisors will
honor themselves, whilst representing the
wishes of their constituents, by extend ng to
the educational department under their
charge the utmost liberality. The difficulty
with the free schools. AL along, has been, that
the system has never had fair trial. From
lis very infancy il has been stinted in funds,
and its efficiency thereby so impaired, that
the results have half justified the objections
raised BY its enemies. We do not, of course,
intend to censure the Supervisors of this
county. They have done all they could.
The schools have been crippled and suffered
to languish by reason OF the diversion of the
funds from the State which should have gone
to their support. We trust, with Mr.. Graf
tan. that this will be remedied in the future,
and when that is done, and the schools are
placed on a healthy financial footing, we
have no fears Cor the result. 1t will be the
greatest blessing the county could enjoy.
Mr.. Grattan's communication is as follows:
In a5eordilnce with your request l sh all
for the information of all concerned give you
Ii short account Ct the school affairs OF the
equity for the last school year, which will
close on the first of July next, and the pros
poets for the next.
THE FINANCIAL PROSPECT.
The beginning of the present school year
found tile county in debt for teachers wa
ges, the schools having been run under the
confident expectation o.; State aid. which
proved so meagre as to he almost worthless.
Under this state Of things when the school
officers came to lay their plans for the pres
ent year, they were compelled to take into
consideration the deficit for the last year,
which had to be supplied out OF this year
and that out of the county fund, SIS expert
euce had taught them they could look for
very little from the State. In the next place,
as have said, had to put the States fund
entirely out OF their calculations as any re-
ceipts therefrom were too doubtful to be cal
culated upon. There remained therefore
nothing to be depended upon but the coun-
ty fund, which tie Supervisors generously
and wisely made as large as they could.
This being, as have said, partially consum
ed in the payment of back pay to teachers,
it was evident that fewer schools could
be run or that help must be had from outside
sources.
DISTRICT WITHOUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
One of the districts and the one with the
greatest humber of schools, Middle River,
found herself so much involved as to require
the whole OF her this years county fund to
pay off old scores, and did not attempt to
run any schools as public schools at all,
though the school 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 districts not
being so heavily indebted determined to do
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 dis
| erection seemed best in their district, and
another to divide the money they had
| out among the schools and open one Wher-
eyer the patrons would supplement suffi-
GENTLY to secure the services OF teacher.
Riverheads and Pastures adopted the first
plan and North River, South River and Bev-
erly Manor the latter.
| WHAT DISTRICTS RAN SCHOOLS.
| R;yerheads ran four white schools, 5wo of
them graded, and one colored; they were all
| good schools, but the districts where none
we're located of course were dissatisfied; 1t
| takes twenty. four schools to supply this dis
trict.
Pastures ran eight white schools, one of
| Id xp;tb tnaaharc
! and three colered schools; this district has
twenty-one when all are running.
North River ran eighteen white schools,
one at Nit. Zion, with two teachers, and two
colored schools; twenty-five is the full COM
plement for this district.
South River ran eighteen white schools,
one of which at Waynesboro', was a graded
school. and four celored schools. one OF
which at Waynesboro' deserves to be COM
mended-lhe complement for this district is
twenty-five.
| Beverly Manor ran eleven white schools,
one OF them at West End, a 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 one hun
dred and thirty nine schools counting Mid
die Rivers twenty eight that should have
been run, there were only seventy-four in
all open. This is bus beggarly account OF
empty boxes for great county like this, but
| think the prospect for the future is bright
er.
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 that we shall get from the State
under the Henkel bill we hope to be able to
start the whole number Of schools. The dis
trct tax which is for district purposes, builds
| ing, buying land, rents, repairs, fuel, school
books for poor children and coDtingents, will
only have to be borne by our people for Two
or three years longer and we shall have
houses built and paid for in all quarters of
the county; but we sincerely hope there Will
be no Stacking Just yet on the part OF our su-
pervisors aud people, as it would be very hard
on those communities who have all along
| paid their tax to build houses in other sec
tons OF the district, to find the doors closed
when they come to ask for theirs. and
short time will put us out OF the woods.
SCHOOL HOUSES ERECTED.
In Riverheads last year there were four
new houses built; Middle River, four; North
River, four; the other reports from district
clerks are not in and am not able to give
the number built.
THE TEACHERS.
There were some very good teachers last
year, employed at very poorly remuneratlve
prices, and there were others who were not
very good and therefore very we'll paid at
any price. 1t will be my object to weed out
these inferior teachers as fast as practicable,
but some will necessarily have to be employ
ed as what we can pay will not command
enough good ones to fill their places. Ii the
people will provide the means to run the
schools on a sound financial basis, will
promise them good teachers. but to be good
teacher a man or woman must know what
they desire to teach, and this knowledge
cannot be acquired in a six weeks course at
a Normal school, but costs money. time and
labor and must. like everything else, be
paid for in proportion to the cost of prod uc-
ton CHARLES GRATTAN,
Sup't County Augusta.
WEDDING OF A FORMER STAUNTONIAN.
In Harrisonburg, on Wedne sday morning