The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-11-08
THE COMMON SC HOoLs-wIL. THE
SCHOOL BILL MEET THE c,sr

VIII the bill reported by the School
Commission reach the sources of weak
ness IN our present public school system2
We think it will reach some of them and
not others. The narrowness and parsi-
mony. from which the schools suffer 40
seriously IN many districts, cannot be
cured by legislation. Yet something
can be done, and it will be done. if the
bill becomes law, to secure better sun.
port of the schools in the poorer and neg
lected districts. Under the REQUIREMENT.
that no town shall raise a school tax of
less than Is per cent, with the proyis-
ions for enforcing it, cases, such as we
are informed now exist. where a tax of
less than ten cents is raised for school
purposes will not occur. The new meth
cd of apportioning the public money
will also be to some extent for the benefit
OF the poorer districts. To this method
the commissioners gave careful study,
aud on examination 1t will. we think. he
found to be less complicated than il seems
al H. st sight, TO be: and to be a decided
improvement upon the present method.
Inc crying evil of multiplicity of
little districts, we fear Will not he very
soon or very extensively a0ated by this
Dill. Inc town system is the proper cure
Tor that. Bat under thu influence of the
supervisors, II the bill becomes a law,
some towns which refuse to adopt the
town system, may be induced to rear
range and consolidate their districts, to
the advantage of the schools.
The substitution of county supervision
by officers whose sole business is the care
of the schools, in place of the existing
method of town superintendent is the
main feature OF the bill, and its most
valuable one. II the supervisors are
wlsel y selected, this change must work
speedy and important change for the
better in the schools. Teachers will be
selected with greater care, and will work
under closer and more helpful oversight.
The county supervisors, would sometime
meet as body, for mutual counsel,
under the lead of the State superintend-
ent-and the existence of such body of
Judiclous and competent officers would
do much to repair the injury effected by
the adjustment of the State Board Of
Education.
AS the committee on education have
decided to eliminate the subject of the
normal schools from the bill, and take
up that subject as seperate matter, we
reserve remarks upon that and other
features of House bill No 3, for a future
issue, On the whole the changes con-
templated by the bill seem to us to be in
the right line; to contain some valuable
features and to be likely to work an
Improvement in the schools worth many
times over the slightly increased cost Of
the new system. The additional outlay
OF $SOOO or $4,000 yesr by the State
upon its common schools is nothing in
comparison with the advantages to be
gained by the measure, and 1t will all be
in the increased intelligence
OF our people, in the increased value of
real estate, which always rises in price
where good schools are maintained. and
in the moral benefits of better system
of public education, on which no price
can be set. We trust the bill will in its
main features become a law. Free Press.