The Forrest City times., 1893-06-30
ouR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Editor Times:

Editor Times:
 The future policy of the Forrest City school board is a subject in which every citizen of the district should be, and no doubt is. deeply interested. but everybody seems to have fallen into the habit of remaining silent until the board acts. and then coming forward in a spirit of fault finding, with the sug- gestion that the board ought to have done something else. If we have any suggestions to offer, thev should be made public in ample time for the hoard to consider them. and as the time is near at hand for the adoption of some definite policy as to the af- fairs of the district for another year, the writer, who is a taxpayer with a family of children dependent upon the local school for an education, begs leave to offer a few suggestions. with the hope that They will be thoroughly discussed and that such discussion will result in some improvement in the present deplorable condition of af- fairs.
 First Let us do just what the good and sensible Baptist congregation have recently done, i. G., condemn and aban- donas utterly unfit for use tue misera- ble old barn of church building, that has consumed 5000 of the school fund for purchase money and repairs, and is in more delapidated condition now than when first bought. Or perhaps the board can be as sensible as the Baptist were and unload the elephant on some other organization that is handling public funds. Certainly, no private individual, contemplating the establish ment of private school, would have committed the folly ot making such all investment. The Baptist very wisely concluded that the building was no longer lit to be used by the congregation for two hours serVi- ces on each Sunday, but the school board says to the white children and their teachers, "it is good enough for you to occupy for five whole days in each week. Only d few years since, the Methodists unloaded all old rock cry on St. Francis county. and 1t be- giuS to look like the progressive ele- mpnt of the county and district need not hope for d decent court house or or school building, until all the old abandoned churches are worked off The writer must not be understood as condemning the action of the two churches ill thus diSpoSing of their useless property; he only regrets that our public officials have not the same degree of enterprise and progressive ness.
 Second. Let this board show as much consideration for the white children of the district as 1t has heretofore shown for the colored children. Only d few years since. the board saw proper to suspend the schools for one year Tn or der to give the colOred children d school building, which is amply sufficient for their accommodation. and their act III doing so was indeed commendable; but if the writer is not miSmfOrmed, the present board will unanimously oppose approprlatlng any part of the revenue to the erection of d new school building for the white children, and any proposition to suspend the schools for that purpose is treated as being too ridiculous and absurd for their conSid- eratiuu.
 To state the matter briefly, the col bred people, who pay about one sixth of the tax, have good comfortable building with school that IS d credit to the town and q credit to their race, while the white people. who pay the remaining five slXths of the tax, have two old barns, located one-haif mile apart, both of which are utterly unfit to be occupied by decent people, and with sc!iool that is simply disgrace to civilized and intelligent commu- nity. 1t is perfectly nousenSical to heap all the cenSure upon the principal of the school A principal who can make d success of managing school when he is required to teach forty or fifty pupils and make several trips d day over a halt mile course between the two buildings, would be d very remark able illdiviaual, and it astnnishes some people that the board ever finds a prin- cipal who IS 50 hard up for d job as to undertake 1t.
 Fourth. If the board cannot see the advsability of snspending the school entirely. taS Was done to accommodate the darkies.) then why not give us a good primary school, with local teach CTS. and for short term. This could be duue at an expense of about $500 per per month, and five months school at this rate would leave about 8. 900 of the revenue of 1898 to be applied to d building. With this sum on hand for That purpose. the business men of For lest City and the patrons of the school ~ould undoubtedly add their contribu- tons to a sufficient amonnt to erect hatdsome and substantial building.