Morning journal and courier., 1886-06-19
BOARD OF EDUCATION.

The old Janftors Reappointed am d
 Some of Their Salaries Increased-
 Change i'm the Rule Regarding the
 Appointment of Superintendent
 and Secretary-Interestfn Discus
 s1Ons.
 A regular meeting of the Board of Educa- tion was held last evening. Present, Messrs. Welch, presiding, Plunkett, Peck, Graves, O'Brien, Bennett, Strong, Zunder and Har- rison.
 The Committee on Schools recommended corrections of errors in salaries as follows: Miss Robinson of Mo- Ferry street school, $460 instead of S480; Miss Story of No.4 Ferry street school, $550 instead of $5OO; Miss Tal- mage, Cedar street school, $500 instead of $460; Miss Wooden, New Haven orphan asy- lum, ,$475 instead of S450; Miss Collins, Welch school, $500 instead of s45O. The report of the committee was accepted.
 Major Strong said that Miss Burwell in the Quinnipiac school had, since her appoint ment, been doing the work of a former teacher who received $450 and she was raised only $50, making her salary $35O. As she had succeeded we'll he thought she should receive a larger increase. After considering the matter it was voted to make Miss Bur wells salary $375, an advance of $50.
 On recommendation of the School commit tee Miss Torpy was changed from No. to Mo- 4 Skinner school, and Miss Willard from 3 to same school Miss Manning was ap- pointed from the Cedar street school to take the place of Miss Willard, promoted.
 Major Strong from the Committee on School Buildings said that it would cost ST., 325 to put the Dixwen avenue school build ing in good repair, as estimated. There have tn children school on account of it's condition, which was considered by parents to be unhealthy. The committee were instructed to make the re- pairs as suggested.
 The same committee reported estimates for building the iron fence at the Gregory street school as follows: A. Ball & Son, $55O; Yale Safe company, $409; R. Wilson, $352. The contract was awarded to Robert Wilson.
 The estimates for curbing at the same building were as follows; H. E. Clark & Co. 32 cents a foot, E. A. Chatfeld 35 cents.
 For concrete walks the estimates were as follows: New Haven Concrete company 12 cents per square foot, Concrete Paving Co. cents per square foot, J. M Sullivan cents per square foot. The committee were instructed to give the contract to the lowest bidder.
 The purchase of furnaces for the Gregory street school was referred to the committee to inquire and report.
 Major Strong reported from the Committee on Schools that the committee rec commended the reappointment of the old janitors. The changes in janitors' salaries as reported were as follows: High school, in- crease from $625 to $650; Webster and Welch schools, increase from $500 to $625; Hallock street and West street schools, one janitor, from $500 to $625; Whiting street and Cedar street schools, one janitor, S495 to $51O; Grand street, $40 to $465; Greenwich avenue, Oak street, Davenport avenue, Lloyd street, Ferry street, Orchard street and Carlisle street, each from $250 to $275; German English, $115 to $40; the three Annex schools combined, $260 to 300. Dennis O'Keefe, janitor of Gregory street school, at a salary of $500.
 The report of the committee was accepted and their recommendations adopted.
 The matter of spelling books, laid over from the last meeting, was taken up.
 MT. Plunkett said the committee had given the spoilers full consideration.
 MT. O'Brien said the revised Patterson speller now in use would be out in the fall and he thought it better to wait and make comparison with the proposed Meleny speller before deciding to purchase a new one.
 MT. Plunkett said the committee had ex- amined the new spoilers thoroughly and they were satisfied that the one they had se- lected was the best.
 MT. Bennett said he could see no hurry about making 6 purchase.
 Mr. Bennett said he had been vi sted by the publishers of Patterson's speller, who offered to furnish the book on favorable terms.
 MT. Graves said the publishers of Patter- sons speller had been to see him about their new book and he had told them that he vas favorably impressed with Meleney's speller, but that he would not oppose delay to give the superintendent and Committee on Schools an opportunity to compare the two books
 MT. O'Brien moved to lay the matter on the table for the present and the motion pre- vailed, the unG standing being that the Board will wait until the new Patterson book is out.
 The purchase of furniture for the Gregory street school was referred to the Committee on Schools
 The matter of text books on history was referred to the Committee on Schools to in quire whether more than one kind of text book was necessary in the schools
 It was voted to adopt Meservy's book keeping for use in the grammar schools.
 The matter of naming the Gregory street school was laid over until the next meet ing.
 On motion of Mr. O'Brien the Committee on School Buildings were instructed to make an estimate of the cost of repairs of school building in making their annual estimates.
 The chanPe in the rule regarding the cleo tion of superin tendent for one year, the cleo tion to take place in April instead of June, was taken up.
 Major Strong moved that the rule be adopted and Mir. OBrien seconded the mo- ton.
 Mir Harrison said this was quite radical change and he should like to hear some good reason for the change.
 I was about to make the same remark, re- sponded MT. Plunkett.
 Mr. Repnaft said that ninety Dar cent of the superintendents in New England were elected for one year and he did not see why the New Haven school district should not adopt the same rule.
 MT. Plunkett said unless some advantage was to be gained by the change he could not favor it, and he did not see that such would be the result.
 Mr. O'Brien said the time might come when they would wish that they had elected | superintendent secretary for only one | year, although he did not desire to reflect on l either of the gentlemen now holding those | positions.
 MT. Harrison said that the rule that had | been in existence for thirty years had thus | ar proved to be good one and he saw no | ,eason why a change should be made at this | ime. He had noticed, he said, that the two l papers that had had the most to say in favor | of this change had not referred to the secre- ,ary at all, but only the superintendent.
  ,hould be independent of the Board and the Board independent of him. He should be entirely untrammelled and not be placed in l my position where he must curry favor | with members of the Board in order to hold 1 lis position. If he was only elected for one | 7ear he would be looking out for a more per nanent position and would be ill a position where he would not be certain of his tenure | nore than one year.
 MT. Graves said he did not understand | hat any change of this rule was any refec ion upon either of the officers in question. | He would prefer to have the rule changed so hat these officers could be elected without | my time being stated as to how long they | should serve. Then the Board would be in a | position to remove him at any time.
 Captain O'Brien inquired what could be lone with a man elected for two years if he | vas not doing his work to the satisfaction of he Board.
 ''Refuse to pay him,' replied MT. Welch.
 MT. Peck said he thought the matter was 'f but little importance whether a superin- endent was elected for one year or two years. He would like to think the matter ,ver little longer and he would suggest that