Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-01-02
The New school Law Again.


The Burlington Free Press printed on
Wednesday letter from l. P. Booth of
Mortified. the supervisor for Washington
county, in which the following points are
raised about the new school law, called out
by Judge Wheeler's letter printed in The
Phoenix of last week;
IF the school year is to consist of the ~ weeks,
as Judge Wheeler alleges II must and TO begin on
the Goth of March, 1880 and end on the 18th of
the March following Gs9ll and the next division
of the public monies is 70 occur on that time as a
basis will the judge please tell us about the last
springs term Was not that reckoned in, in the
division made last July: Have they not already
drawn their proportions for that times Was Il
the intent of the legislature TO allow them to
draw twice. II So il must have taken on an un-
usually generous streak.
Again, If the school year is to end as alleged
what did the Legislature mean (since it wiped out
all the laws of lSSS. with reference to the school
year when it said in the law it passed that in act
No. Of the laws of 1873, section 1853, where the
word July occurred il should read April and
where the word June occurs, II should read March
still again. If the year is to end as under the
old law, March -, what did the legislature mean
when il said that In section 1871, where the word
June occurred read March, and in section 1913
where the word July occurs read April Have
the registers and returns nothing TO do with the
division of the public money under the new law
Are there to be two returns, one as of old on or
before the 10th Of March, etc, and then another
still again, what was meant where we are told
70 read in section pa where the word June occurs
land does not occur read March, Well, suppose
We allow the fact as a mere error aud read March
what Is the result? Why, the certificate of divis
ion is 10 be- filed three weeks and more before the
division is made. or nearly year after. Take
your choice OF interpretations. or, II you read
April, then the certificate is 70 be filed as If the
division is 10 be made IN April; the whole section
set back simply three months.
Again and again, what Is 10 be done in section
l2i that We are asked 10 changes"
The general answer TO the above is that
the changes to which Mr. Booth refers were
necessary and proper in order to make the
provisions of the new law harmonious with
the change of the school year from one be-
ginning and ending on the first of July to one
beginning and endingon the goth of March.
In answer TO the first point, the whole mat
ter was within the power of the legislature
which could provide for the counting of the
weeks of schooling twice, if necessary, in
order to secure the proper division of the
public money, This counting for a second
time would have lao effect on the proper
ton Of money received by each district,
the essential point being to provide some
basis ON which t o make division.
The answer to the second point is that
the change in section 1853 refers to school
year for other purposes than the division
of public money. The act of 1889 applied
expressly TO that only.
Third, June was changed TO March in
section 1871 TO bring the return of the reg
listers within the school year. July is
changed 20 April in section 1913 to bring the
filing of the school registers close to the
end Of the school year, as it was when the
year ended GU the first of July.
Fourth IN section PA the month is
changed from July to March to bring the
filing of the statement of the division Of