Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-02-13
THE TOWN SYSTEM on SCHOOLS.
AN ADDRESS FOR TIE STATE TEACHERS Assoc1-
ALTON LETTER PROM AN ENourUrR

THE TOWN SYSTEM or SCHOOLS.
AN ADDRESS FOR TIE STATE TEACHERS Assoc1-
ALTON LETTER PROM AN ENQUIRER.
The legislature Of Vermont, at its recent
session, by Act No. %, section /, enacted the
following Each town in which the school
district eystem exists shall ut the annual meet.
ing Of the town in 1885 aud 1856 vote upon
the question Of abolishing the district system
and adopting the town system"
Among the reasons why the action required
by this law should be entered upon thought
fully are these
Careful observers going from Vermont to
other states 10 study schools bring back the
report that Vermont is behind in her schools
and school system.
Intelligent people who come from other
states and look into our schools say, You are
behind in the provision for the education of
your children
Vermonters Of all shades of opinion every
where say, "Our schools accomplish for our
children far less than they ought to do with
the expenditure we make for them"
In such state Of things we are called upon
to express by direct vote our choice relative
to two modes Of controlling and supporting
our schools. To one Of them we are ali &C.
customed through long use the other though
an older and widely system, is less fam
ilar to us.
The town system may be described briefly
as system by which the people Of the towns
manage their schools through agents chosen
directly by themselves, and by which they
pay for their schools directly with money
drawn from the town treasury. This system,
was introduced into Massachusetts in 1G47.
and it is now exclusively used in Massaohu.
sets, Pennsylvania and Indiana, is prevail.
ingy used in several other states, is inereas-
ingy used everywhere. aud is the system uni
versally favored by students Of education. be-
cause, 1t the same or less cost. larger and bet
ter schools are furnished by it than by any
other system known among us. This system
has been IN operation IN Vermont long enough
TO test It, and is now used in 10 towns by over
30, 600 people. Let these testify to its merits.
Burlington adopted the town system az a
provision Of her city charter in 1867. She
boasts OF the best schools 10 the state. and has
never sought a return to the district system.
Nergennes has recently united her school dis
trlcts, and now as one body conducts her
schools IN the same number and places a. be-
fore. After ten years trial, the people Of
Wsitsheld sustained the town system by
vote OF 10 to Al, the people of Middletown
sustained it by a vote of 90 to 22. and in Hines
burgh no vote for return was called for. After
hye years trial in Brighton but two persons
IN full town meeting voted to return to the
district system. No town in Vermont after
nVe years trial OF the town system. has re-
turned to the district system OF schools.
During the last session of our General As
sembly, the committees on education fully
considered the comparative merits of the dis
trict and town systems Of schools. and recon
mended the adoption Of the town system
While the matter was under consideration
testimony concerning the working OF the sys-
tenn was received from many Of the towns us-
ing it, Following are specimen extracts from
this testimony
Senator Hobson told the committee how the system
had worked IN Brighton, where after fve years tr-
a. It had been readopted in full town meeting by
nearly unanimous vote only two voting very feebly
~ tne negative. Ihe tax under the new system 81
management had been nearly the same a. under the
district system but they bad done great deal more
with the money Better schools ore veeks Of school
larger Atten dance, and schoO.house 10 nearly
every district had been provided with the money.
Men that were originally opposed TO the system were
nov its strongest friends Dlstrust aud dtssatisfac-
unn arose originally among iis upponeuts especially
10 the back districts, from fear that they not
gong to Ike the system and that the village going
to get some advantage. After trial the bach dir
tcts had found that they the ones whose c0ud-
uon had been most improved they demanded aud
bad their rights, having better houses better and
! longer terms OF school, a. less expense.
hepresentauve stone Of Eden said bic town adopted
the town system three Year, ago. There was al III
crease IN the total attendance from 10 2i5 n the
last year under the district system l5,Dss 10 the
nrst year under the town system. The Aggregate ust
for the last year under the district rysie Wa eGg7
tue hrHt year under the town system. g6G2 III. TAI
/ LOT the hrst year when they built new SCHOOL
house and repaired the old ones per cent; for
the second year IS per cent FOR the third year per
cent Under the old system some districts bad paid
taxes hs high a. l0l aud 124 per More weeks
school better schools permanent teachers schools IN
districts which had been without schools under the
old system, the aaying Of district quarres-these had
been some Of the beneficial results " the three years
experience.
To this recital we offer but one addition.
nsmely-thAt the maintenance at a convenient
/ point in town of a school OF higher grade
than the rest which ehsll be free to all the
children Of the town who are sufficiently Ad-
vanced TO profit by it, is easily managed I'M
der the town system, as may be seen III BrRh-
ton, Hinesburgh, Middletown, Waitsfeld. aud
other towns where such q higher school has
already become part OF the established sys-
ten.
The body We represent, at its annual meet
ing on the third day of January,
Resolved, ThA, this association hereby renew. its
declaration OF faith In the system u schools
the best nov offered to the people Of Vermont, and
urges all friends Of education to in Efforts 10
! cure its early adoption by the towns.
With our own strong personal convictions
/ OF the superiority of the town system of
schools, reinforced by the eoncurring opin-
ions Of our fellow teachers and by the facts
of experience partly recited above, we come
asking our fellow citizens to consider well
what Is the duty Of the hour towards the chill
dren OF the towns in which they dwell, and
that they will not shrink from any effort that
/ promises to improve the educational facilities
I of our state.
f For the Vermont State Teachers Associa-
ton.
NJ. H. BUcKHAM,
EDw. CoNANT, COMMITTEE.
W. II. SAEDEBsoN J
January, 1855.