Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-02-20

In0 DOdrO OF directors muSU COnS1SU
of three or six directors. In most
cases three will be more satisfactory
than six. The directors are to be
chosen at the March meeting, three or
six this year and one or two each sue
| ceeding year, the term of office to
be three years, except for the first
set chosen. The board of directors
by the provision of the law "shall have
care of the school property of the
town and the management Of it's
schools, determine their number and
their locations, employ teachers and
fix their compensations, examine and
allow claims arising in school matters,
draw orders on the town treasury for
the payment of school bills, and shall, 4
in general, have the powers, and per-
form the duties heretofore devolv-
ing upon prudential committees and
clerks of school districts.''
The law provides that the directors
shall maintain, at the expense of the
town, each year, for twenty six
weeks, sufficient number of schools
for the instruction of all the children
who may legally attend the school.
The schools must be held in such
places and at such times as will best |
subserve the interests of education,
and give all the scholars of the town
as nearly equal school privileges as
may be practicable.
The board may provide instruction
in the higher English branches in the |
graded schools of the town; they may
also receive from other towns on tut
tion to any of their own school pupils |
from neighboring towns, or they may |
send pupils to adjoining districts in
other towns when it can be advan |
tageo usly done.
The board must report their doings |
to the town, showing their doings and
their accounts. The board must also
superintendent of schools,
and appoint a clerk of the board who
shall keep the records and perform
the duties now performed, in part, by
district clerks.
The work of the board is so impor-
tant that greatest care should be had
in the selection of it's members. Men
of educational capacity men who have
a live interest in educational matters,
men who will promptly and faithful
ly attend to the duties of the office
There should be no niggardly man
agement, neither should there be any
lavish expenditure of money. If i'm
portant changes are to be made they
should be carefully considered, it is
best, probably, that few sweeping
changes be made the first year, and
that the schools be run much the same
n general management as now. Wise
directors can SO manage affairs as to
1elp sections of towns where their
facilities have been poor, and can give
better educational privileges, the
own over, than are now possible.
Whatever may be the opinion of
oHe who are suspicious, or antago
listic to the new law, the change must
,e made and tried, and the state be
Inder the law for two years, and it
viii be unjust and Improbable to op !
,ose the law until it has had fair
nance to show its workings. 1t is
he duty Of every man to give it his
avor and his help until it proves it |
elf to be either better or worse than
he old system. Meanwhile let the
1auter of a board of school directors
e considered and thoroughly dis
ussed, if need be, that no mistake be
aade in the selection. :