The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-02-20
Some Objections and Advantages
Considered.

Inc law OF this state allowing towns to abOl-
sh the district system, has been frequently ex-
planned, and 1t Is believed that the voters are
generally familiar with Its provisions Some
Of the objections TO the town system which
have been made, or which exist In the minds
Of individuals who are not acquainted with the
practical working OF the system, are the fol-
lowing: Some fear a sweeping consolidation
Of districts under the town system and, in
consequence, more travel for the scholars;
others that 1t may mean one graded school,
and that located in the principal village Of the
town, compelling the town to go to the village
It must not be forgotten that the law gives the
voters In town meeting the option Of choosing
three or six directors. The voters have the
power all In their own hands They will nat
urally endeavor to choose men Of intelligence,
Of wisdom, of sound judgment, and above all,
men OF integrity-men who, on looking over
the whole field and hearing all suggestions,
will act deliberately, with special reference to
all the circumstances and for the general we'll
fare of the school children In all parts OF the
town. school board will not be real estate
ring or clique Of absolute, irresponsible,
petty tyrants. Their powers are far more cir
cumscribed than those OF the selectmen to
whom the freemen unhesitatingly confide the
management OF the general affairs of the
town, and the voters often display good sense
and wisdom in keeping these men, or some of
them in office year after year. II is very
rare thing for these officers individually, and
far rare, collectively, to abuse their trust.
sponsibities. On the contrary, In any emer-
gency, or in any matter outside of the general
course of things, they display their sense of
the responsibilities OF their stewardship by
consulting their masters individually, or coll
lectively in town meeting assembled. 1t Is just
and reasonable to presume that board OF
school directors would be equally considerate,
and that they would as zealously guard the
general welfare OF school children and parents
All solicitude on this point may be safely dis
mia and this aha pnnpaption of tho
responsible character Of a school board and OF
confidence In it's members must not be lost
sight of in discussing this question. So, II
consolidation of districts Is clearly wise and
necessary measure Of public policy, and to the
extent to which 1t is necessary, 1t would natur-
ally be made. AS matter OF fact, however,
there has been little consolidation OF districts
in the towns which have adopted the system.
The districts have been very rarely disturbed
Waitsfed has six separate schools, Brighton
twelve Bolton six Middletown eight, Hines
burg thirteen, and so on. Consolidation is by
no means a necessity. Circumstances should
decide, and q question Of this kind could be
left to board of three or six discreet and dis
interested men, with complete assurance that
it would be decided for the best The towns
named above present nearly every problem,
geographical or otherwise, which could be
imagined in connection with the working OF
the system Its unvarying success is practi-
cal solution OF these problems and should allay
all fears, at least on the score of increased
travel In district where the attendance has
been very small, and where consolidation
would involve too great travel, expense has
been saved and better schooling provided by
carrying the scholars, at the public charge, to
an adjoining district. In this way 1t has some
times happened that two or three districts have
been massed, the expense of separate schools
saved and far better instruction obtained for
the whole.
1t is sometimes objected that the system
tends to centralze schools" " robs the back
Districts" and throws school management
into the hands OF men who encourage kind
of higher education that Is unsuited to the
wants of the children of an agricultural peo-
pie" That the system centralizes schools, Is dis
proved by the facts presented above; that it
centralzes school management, Is the object OF
the law and the merit of the system: town
could hardly be persuaded to divide up into
small sections for the management OF its
affairs. Every man understands that to choose
a dozen officials annually, each managing
small districts Independently would be dividing
power too finely for efficiency. He understands
that it is better to " centralize" management,
and that the town is the smallest desirable
unit for this purpose, excepting when a city or
or populous village demand special munich
pal government. Capitalization Is no bug
bear in respect to town management. IL 1t is
not with respect to the general affairs OF q
town, but on the contrary Is very desirable,
why should it not be equally desirable with re-
pect to any particular part OF town affairs, like
listing property for taxation? And II practical
BILE and desirable for general, and, specifically.
| for listing purposes, why not for the special
management of the schools also? 1t will not
be questioned that better officials are chosen
when three men are picked from all the town
and by all the voters of the town, for either
general or specific service, than If twelve men
are chosen for the same duties by as many
sections of the town voting independently. That
Capitalization secures better men and more
efficient management is not debatable ques-
ton, and it cannot reasonably be raised In re-
spect to school management The theory OF
town control of schools is good and is abund-
antly sustained by practice. AS to ''robbing the
back districts" at the hearing before the COM
mittee on education, at the last session OF the
| legislature, DIR. W. A. Jones, the representa-
tive from Waitsfeld and for many years chair
man of the board Of school directors in that
| town, testified that there was no Capitalization
of schools or school benefits in that town, where
the system had been in operation over ten
years. On the contrary there had been an
equalization Of benefits-the smaller and
weaker schools had been strengthened and
brought up to a standard of excellence more
nearly uniform with the larger schools. The
money for the support OF the schools being
drawn from common treasury, the back parts
of the town insist upon and receive as good
advantages as the village. Such, also, was the
evidence from Mddetown, and from other
towns adopting the system. IL there is any
thing in the character of school management
under the town system that is unsuited to an
agricultural people, that units men to be
farmers, Waitsfield, at least, has miraculously
escaped. The state board of agriculture re-
Gently held meeting in that town. By the
unanimous testimony of members of the board,
they have not struck such a town in all the
state Agricultural subjects were debated
with vigor, intelligence and keenness that put
the lecturers of the board on their mettle and
it is au even question but that the states
learned apostles of agriculture who went to in
struct, came away instructed. II fine barns
filled with produce, comfortable and well-kept
residences, splendid herds, productive fields,
and thrifty, reading, thinking people, are
testimony to the wholesome influence OF
good common schools, intelligently managed,
1t would seem that all fears as to the town
system being an instrument for propagatng
heresy to agriculture might be incontinently
dismissed.
Respecting the comparative benefits of a
system of school management by town board
Of directors, rather than by district school COM
mittees, whether in relation to the money cost,
efficacious instruction. or the supervision and
direction of school affairs, it may be said: The
theory of town management OF schools is Justi-
fed by reason and common-sense The theory
is practiced in the management OF other town
affairs, and when it has been fairly tested
in the regulation of the education OF the
children, it has been productive OF much
better schools with all that that implies
1t is difficult to summarize the comparative
advantages Of the system, and Impractical
- A. ~ LIMIT