Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-01-09
COMMUNICATED.


Though nearly every legislature since
the organization of the school system In
this State has tinkercd at the school
law, none of the amendments have
touched the parts that most concern the
people of Jefferson.
1t is we'll known to the school officers
that section Al, besides being difficult to
execute ia connection with section 40,
has lost the schools ofthis countyalready
several thousand dollars in taxes and
may lose it several more If great caution
is not exercised by the several boards of
education.
By section 6 and 40, the boards of ed
ucation are required to hold their first
meeting in the year, the first Monday
in July and at this meeting determine
the number of months, (already deter
mined by vote of the people according
to section 2, at four months), fix the
salaries of the teachers and lay such a
levy as will continue the schools four
months, and report their action imme-
diately to the Clerk of the County,
County Superintendent and Auditor OF
the State.
Now, under pretence Of obtaining
"the assent of the people," section Al,
says, that if the board shall determine to
continue the school more than four
months, they shall submit the question
to the voters Of the district, being care
full i'm their notice of election to name
the number Of months additional. The
voters are allowed to vote tor the num-
Der of months named by the board and
for no other. Is not this strange way
of obtaining the assent of the people?
You must vote for the number named
by the board, or get no other. This
election is an additional cost to the
county, and if the number of months Is
carried, how is the board to make levy
for the additional months when the
pOOfS dIt tiOoCu tuCih pJ
action on the first Monday In July pre-
vious? All this trouble, cost and loss
could be avoided by striking out section
Al and inserting in section 2, of the first
"for school levy" the words and -
months of school, and then after the
word "the thirty-eight and fortieth sec
tons of this chapter" insert and for as
many months additional to the four
months prescribed in section 40, as a
majority of the voters may determine.
In section IL occurs this remarkable
language, "Whenever it shall happen
that persons authorized to attend school
are so situated rs to be better accommo-
dated at the primary school Of an ad-
joining sub-district, whether in the
same or in an adjoining district or
county = it shall be the duty Of the
trustees Of the sub-districts Interested to
transfer such persons for school pur-
poses to the sub-district in which such
school-house is situated"
Many trustees regard this language
as compelling them to transfer all chill
dren that may be nearer one school
house than another. IL this cOnstruc-
ton is allowable, then it is very easy
matter to close many schools. For ex-
ample, here are two sub-districts adjoin-
IT, k,,t of I;Harant Iistrinta no,a
than half of the children OF one of these
sub-districts live nearer the school
house of the other than their own.
Would it be right to transfer these chill
Gren and reduce the attendance of their
own school below the requiredEversgep
The board of education has gone to
great expense in providing school and
locating j. as near the center OF popula-
ton as they could obtain the ground.
Is it right for the trustees to take away
the pupils from their own school to
build up another and perhaps close their
own?
Such is not common sense and as the
usual way of constituting law is to take
a common sense view Of it, it is taken
for granted that such All idea rever en-
tered the head of the author of that Sec
ton. However, to avoid all ambiguity,
the language should be changed to leave
it discretionary with the board of edu-
cation, the body that makes the levy to
provide the money to pay for such trans
fers, whether or not to authorize such
transfers.
Other changes might be SUGGESTED,
but as these concern our people most,
they only are named with the hope that
our delegates will make Il note of them.
JOSEPH MCMURRAN.