Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-11-02
HOUSE BILL NO. 3

And the Work of the school Commission II.
To the Editor of the Free Press
If in any respect the report of the school
board as embodied in House bill No.
shall seem to be unsatisfactory and disap-
pointing to the people of Vermont, per
haps it may be in the following directions
l. 1t is complained that while schools in
large towns ana districts are measurably
successful and satisfactory, the schools in
back and sparsely settled districts, where
scholars are few in numbers and the grand
list is small, ale deterlorating. Accepting
the truth of this statement, we should
naturally infer that in order to remedy
this evil the districts should be enlarged
that the towns should be redistrict-
ed and some spt cific directions should be
given therefor. Does H. bill No contain
such provision Section 10 requires
the towns lat a meeting warned
for such purpose to divide the
town into several scnool DISTRICTS" but il
does not prescribe how, or by what officers
it shall be done, or on what basis. Ought
not this section to be so amended as to say
something like this The county super
visor, the first lister and the town clerk
shall be a committee in each town to take
into consideration the advisability of re-
districting the town, and in their Judg.
ment shall divide the town into school
ulSlIlClS DIS ldI rs pOSSlUlc VI uulIOl III oIHS
and amount of grand list, so that no dis
trict shall be formed, except fractional, OF
less than - scholars, or having less than
- dollars of grand list, and shall report
their action to the town for final action
granting hearing to any taxpayer who
may feel aggrieved before such action is
taken ~
2. Are not the sections relating to the
division of the school funds, like oul
present laws, too cumbrOus and intricate
cannot these provisions be more con
els ,ly and simply stated However easy
of comprehension they now are to an eX
pert, | am certain from some yeas eX
perience with boards of selectmen, that
TO some boards, in some towns, these pro
visions will be about as clear as mud
| have known boards trying to act IL
accordance with our present law relating
to the per cent. of town school tax to be
raised and the division of public schoo
money" so called, to disagree in regarc
to the rate per cent. required to be raised
and to make incorrect divisions OF the
funds to school dist lets, and to REGAL
them, in other cases, even after they hat
begun to be paid out by the town treasu
rer and then it was not certain that {
correct division was made. If this meth
cd must be retalned-why not require
county supervisor who will be 1
man presumably acquainted with "rith
metic and riting''. But is there not bet
ter way still, under which these sections
would become necessary ?
3. The complaint is made that GU
school taxes are unequal--That some dis
tricts have much larger taxes which the,
are less able to pay than others. Doe
House bill No. grant relief Cannot tb
school tax be made more nearly equal ant
more simply and equitably divided I
redistricting of the towns as above ind
Gated would grant some relief. Now i
place of other laws relating to the matter
why not require the county supervisor /
ascertain the amount Of each town
funds which may be used in each towr
not using the town system, for the SUI
port of schools each year. the probabl
amount required for repairs of schoC
houses, teachers wages and all necessar
expenses for maintaining school of
weeks in each school district in the tow
for one year and after deducting froi
such total amount, the available funds {
the town for the support OF schools, Il
such a rate per cent tax on the grand III
Of the town rs is required to make up u
balance and report the same to the towI
for assessment at the same time allowin
. each district to raise such additi NAL Ia
, for schools as the district may vote to raj
on its own grand LIST? Is.