The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1881-06-17
Appropriation for the Public schools,
TO he Honorable The Board of
C0Mnlu Commissioners Of HarIoLn CoMnLu !.

10 Tie Honorable the Board Of
County Commissioners Of Hartford County
In submitting our estimates for the coming
school year, we desire to call your attention to
certain matters connected with school admins
tratlon to secure which we deem it important
TO the county that funds should be placed at
our disposal at an early day.
A ire-proOf safe should be secured and placed
in the office of the Board so that the necessary
papers ard vouchers in the custody ofthc Secre-
tary may be more securely kept. The loss of
such papers would result in great confusion,
and many of them could not be replaced
To guard against loss and waste of coal and
other fuel, and to enable the Board to hold
teachers to a strict account therefor each
school should be provided with coal or wood
house, which can be kept securely locked. The
saving thus effected in fuel bills would soon pay
the cost of providing the houses.
Most of the school houses built during the
last fifteen years are now sadly in need of paint.
Two coats Of good paint would make these
houses almost as good as new. Each year of
delay increases the expense of painting them
properly, and also increases greatly their liabl-
ity to decay. 1t would be economy to have all
such houses painted during the coming fail.
We would very much like to be able to hold
out incentives to the best teachers to continue
IN the county. If we could establish rule,
that length of service would bring an increase
of pay, however slight, it would be likely 10
work good results and secure for the county the
continued services Of many teacher who is
drawn away by the prospect of better pay.
During the past year or two, the colored peo-
pie of the county have shown an active interest
in their schools Many applications for new
schools have been made which the Board could
not grant, though entirely satisfied Of the pro
prety of the applications. In several instances
the applicants have furnished rooms and paid a
teacher, upon the books being furnished by the
Board Several of the colored schools have had
from sixty to eighty scholars, and yet we were
not able to furnish them an assistant teacher.
The law requires that the colored schools shall
be kept open the same length OF time as the
white schools, yet we have more than exhausted
the Colored Fund in keeping them open for six
months. We earnestly recommend that i'll max
ing up the levy, you allow us sufficient to keep
these schools open as long as the white schools
are kept open.
'rhe county has never Leen divided into school
districts As required by law. The lack 0fpropel
boundaries prevents an intelligent understand
ing of the needs ofdiferent sections in regard to
new school houses. small sum spent now will
effect large saving in the near future
During the year just closed, though we were
aided by the severity of the winter which great
ly reduced the attendance of the schools and
though we were running five schools less than
during the preceding year, We were barely able,
by the strictest economy, to reach 80 terms.
Many expenditures which were needed had to
be denied in order that there might be no de-
crease Ill lHe lenpln Oh our SCHOOL year. Hence
the demand for such expenditures is likely to be
| repeated with greater earncstness during the
coming year.
In January next the present advantageous
book contract will expire. 1t may be doubted
whether it can be renewed upon the same terms,
considering the recent advances in all depart
ments OF trade.
We ask that you make sufficient appropria-
tons for schools to enable us to carry out the
atoregoing recommendations. Although a mum.
Der of new school houses are badly needed, We
think it more important for the county to have
these recommendations carried out than to
build new houses this year. We earnestly hope
you may see fit to levy an amount sufficient fol
| both. We therefore ask for 10 cents to run the
schools 3114 terms and to carry out such of thu
| atorcgoing recommendations AS are included
in our estimates submitted herewith.