Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-05-11
THE SCHOOL BOARD BILL.
COMMISSIONER Propositions So Fa
As They Go.

Messrs. Robert Reyburn, John T. Given, T.
A. Lambert, c. E Hovey, A. {. Richards Ii. q.
Lovejoy, r. w. Fenwick, Hawkins Taylor, Rev.
s. Eomer, j. &. Duiin, T.. q. Davis, William
Henry Browne, j. +. n. Wilkinson, l.. 5. Emery,
ii. n. Copp, Ii. l.. Biscoe and other members OF
the citizens committee on school legislation
assembled at the Ebbitt house last evening to
hear the report of Messrs. Reyburn, Hovey and
Matthews, the committee appointed to confer
with the District Commissioners in relation to
the bill known as the citizens school board bill.
Dr. Reyburn presided with Mr.. j. G Dulin as
secretary. Mr.. Hovey MADE a verbal report,
stating that all the notifications suggested by
the District Commissioners had been acQuiesced
in by the committee except two-one looking la
the appointment OF trustees at large instead OF
from districts; the other emitting the school
superintendent from the list OF teachers and
others to be appointed 10y the board. The Com
missioners had finally consented TO the repre-
sentative system of appointing trustees. AS TO
the other point of disagreement, Col. Ludlow
had proposed as compromise that the super
inteDdent be nominated by the school board
and confirmed by the Commissioners, which
plan one S , tau aeGep'ea as Tie oest
ence then terminated, but IL since appeared
that Messrs. Webb and Wheatley, "a majority
OF the Commissioners, declined to accept Col.
LudIow's proposed compromise. The Com
missioners had drawn up a bill, which omitted
altogether any provision for appointment of the
superintendent, and hence leIt that officer to he
appointed, as at present, by the Commission
ers. The bill drawn by the Commissioners also
omitted the clause providing Tor the approval
by the school board Of sites and plans for
school buildings. This Mr.. Hovey supposed
was due To u clerical error, as the Commission
ers In conference had offered no objection to
this provision. All three OF the Commissioners
had assured the committee that they would as
sent 10 the bill US IL had been modified by them
The bill drawn by the Commissioners is essenii-
ally the same as the citizens school board bill,
except that 1t gives the name OF the aboard OF
education" to the school board; omits all ref
erence to the superintendent, and gives the
board no power as 10 the selection of sites or
approval of plans for school buildings. The
terms OF onc-third of the twenty-iour trustees
provided for are to expire each year. The mat
ter was debated at length by the gentlemen
present. who held that TO cut out the provision
in the citizens bill regarding the superintend-
ent deprived the bill OF It's most important
feature. II was generally agreed, however, that
the omission lett the matter an open question
10 oe decided by the congressional com tnittees
The committees finally approved by resolution
all OF the provisions OF the bill as drawn 10y the
Commissioners, and instructed the committees
on legislation, with Messrs. Reyburn, Matthews
and aovey, 70 present the bin 10 Congress, To-
gether with additions To 1t, providing Tor the
appointment OF the superintendents by the
school board, and the approval of sites and
plans tor school buildings 10y the board.