Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1885-08-26
NORRIS, MINI, Aug. 25, 1885

In your issue of last week, in refer
ence to the village school, you say
"Pupils from the country will be adj
mitted to all departments free OF
charge, and applications will be ac-
cepted as long as there is room to
spare.' l take it for granted that
this advertisement of the liberality OF
our board of education is in accord
ance with the definite action OF that
board upon the subject, and as one OF
the people, whom that body is sup
posed to represent, l wish to enter
protest against such action, upon the
ground of public policy and individ-
ual rights.
This school district, like all others
in the county and State, comprises
certain territory. the property in
which is taxed for the support of
schools, for the benefit of residents OF
such territory. The amount raised
by such taxation is supposed to rep
resent the necessary expenses incl
dent to the establishment and main
tenance of schools for the children of
the district, and levy greater than
the sum required for such expenses
would, therefore, be an unnecessary
burden upon the people. We require
for our scholars certain amount of
school room, certain number OF
desks, and 4 certain number of teach
ers. These are all expensive require
ments and necessarily impose a heavy
tax upon the district. The recon-
pense consists in the fact that our
children enjoy these educational adj
vantages; the necessary expenses OF
the schools are in proportion to the
number of schOlarS-of this there can
be no question. The benefits derived
are in proportion to the time and
attention of the teacher devoted to
each scholar. A recitation to which
twenty minutes are allotted, gives
each scholar, in class of ten, two
minutes for individual effort; should
there be twenty in the class, the
scholar only has one minute. 1t is III
the classes that the scholar indicates
the extent of his studiousness, and it
is there that the opportunity occurs
for the application Of the principles
he has been studying. Then, too, at
the desk he may obtain timely and
necessary instruction from the teacher
which could not be the case If the
time OF the latter is over-taxed by too
great number. Each scholar of this
district is entitled to the proportion
of the time and attention of his
teacher, that the number of scholars
in his department is to the $50 min
utes of the school day, and when he is
deprived of any portion of such time
and attention, he is irreparably
wronged.
The law requires, that scholars who
can pass the prescribed examination,
may have free access to the High
School department., without regard to
place of residence. The country
schools can and will fit their scholars
for that department, If the incentive
to do so is not removed by the wide.
open policy adopted by the Morris
school board, which, if put into prac-
tice, will result in the country dis.
tricts holding schools only for the
time necessary to enable them to
draw public money, and thus deprive
those who are unable to send children
to Morris of the schooling such chill
dren otherwise would have. We want
no charity schools, for we have a
public school system by which each
child in our State may receive COM
mon school education: Then let each
district do it's part, for the county is
too large for one district, even if the
school tax was all placed in one
treasury. The excellent gentlemen
who compose our hoard of education,
and who are earnestly laboring for
the interests of the district they rep
resent, will, | think, if they look at
this matter In it's true light, see that
to throw open the doors of our schools
to outsiders is wrong and unjust to
the taxpayers and the children of
this district, and damage to outside
districts, in that it shifts from them
the responsibility of educating their
| children.
We are far more deeply in debt
than any other district in the county.
We should not have our expenses
made greater and our school benefits
less, in the interest of outsiders,
HENRY HUrCHINs.