The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1894-02-23
NOTES FROM TOWN OFFICERS RE
PORTS.

DR.. H. G. Day, town superintendent
Of schools, has completed his annual re,
port. He refers to the change during
the past year from the old system of dis
trict schools to the town system. a
change for the better. Among the bene.
fits arising from the change, he notes the
unity in management and equality in
taxation, greater efficiency in manage
mert, more public interests in the
schools, better school houses and better
appointments, better teachers and lon
gar tenure of office, more schooling for
the children and less disturbing of
schools by local unpleasant: ess. An
other advantage is that the school dlrec-
tors may make such disposition of the
available force of teachers in the town
that the greatest utility may result.
During the year, the school directors
have made no radical changes, their
official acts having been conservative
but progressive. During the wear.
seventeen teachers have been employed
in the thirteen districts of the town.
All but three belonged in Bennington.
There have been three terms of ten
weeks each, in all the schools except one
or two, where the term was shortened
by contagious diseases. He also calls
attention to the irregular attendance
that exists in common schools, and the
difficulty experienced IN finding well
qualified teachers for the district
schools, as the larger towns, being able
to pay better wages, secure the best
teachers. The district schools in the
town are in prosperous condition and
fairly well attended, taught by good
average corps of teachers, and giving
general satisfaction. The people mani
fest considerable interest in the practl-
cal questions of the school, and express
desire for their continued and in.
creased prosperity.
The school directors have made their
first annual re rort The grand list of
the town, on which there was tax of
thirty cents on the dollar for school pur-
poses, was $9,S7S. During the year,
there was received by the town treas
urer S2,552, from the State S246.07.
money to be received from Pownal $3.50,
town money to be divided ESTIMATED
S245, taxes paid to collector 500. There
was paid out for teachers diaries. sun
dries, etc, $1,000. leaving surplus at
the end of the year, with 1910 not yet
collected, in the thirteen districts out
side the Incorporated schools which. do
hoO Il6lr 1urlSulCtlOn,
Twelve had 80 weeks of s,hool during
the year. One district had only twelve
weeks, as during the summer the
school was divided between those in ad-
joining districts. The public money to
be divided between the district schools
the coming year, will be about $500 less
than it was last year. The forthcoming
report of the town officers will show
that during the year just closed, the
town has paid under the provisions of
the new school and highway law, $1,000
more than it did the year before to the
general State and county tax for those
objects. The amount raised and paid to
the State treasurer was $4,000, of which
under the new apportionment for school
and highway purposes, only $4,000 was
returned to the town.
During the last year, there were 800
dog licenses issued by the town clerk.
The amount received for the same was
S457. The amount paid out for damages
done by dogs.was $l25.