The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-03-21
BrO0kfeld Schools

l4th inst a Brookfield correspondent took
occasion to give the school directors a
" boiled-down" four-pointed thrust, which,
keenly felt, would pass unnoticed
were 1t not for the fact that the WATcHMAN
Is read outside Of Brookfeld limits. The
author or authoress, or combination, or
some one else, took the word Expected "
for text, and proceeding in the first point
to say that "three back districts had been
practically wiped out" Of course by the di-
rectors. Let us note that two of these back
districts are districts whose school buildings
are only about one mile from the village
school, church, post-office, two stores, black
smith shop, creamery, etc.
Now IL your correspondent will consult
the laws Of 1892, and especially No. 20, Sec.
1, he or she will find that the toson Is the
district, and that district lines heretofore
established are abolished in Sec. 8, that the
directors shall determine the number and
location Of schools Sec. making it obliga-
tory upon them to have at least one school
The law, not the directors, wiped them all
out save one.
The second point, What are we to ask the
taxpsyers2 Is 1t. Are you afraid Of depre-
citation in your real estate, because a school
was not supported the past year in the old
school-house, and simply for the lack Of
scholars? The directors can only say that
your fears are needless, and point to the
fact that before your correspondents ink
was fairly dry the directors had unani-
mously agreed to establish school In No.
2, one OF the "wiped-out" districts.
Changes, marked ones, occur, and in this
district no less than eight children have
come within its former limits, within few
months, while in the village district no less
than fourteen who have attended school
there at some time the past year have been
moved away, probably all of them perma-
nently, and other schools are liable to like
sudden transitions. Any board of directors
will re.establish any school, temporarily
stopped for lack OF pupils, when there is a
sufficient demand for 1t. Certainly the tax
payer who has paid sixty cents on dollar
can't complain at paying less, or that the
children OF his neighborhood are furnished
with thirty-four weeks of school against
twenty-four in the old district, or when the
parents are asking for little Capitalization.
The third point-two orphans. 1t should
have been three, but as one Of them has
always attended the village school, and the
past fall and winter studied Latin and
Algebra, why, he did not suffer by the "wip-
ing out" But Of the other two, one of them
attended school in the spring in district 2,
but in establishing central school all the
others Of that school, by their own choice,
centralized" and we could hardly see the
point to run school for him, and he might
have gone to the school south, only one
fourth or one third of mile farther, or to
the one east nearer in fact that in No. q
and the directors offered to supply him with
slippers and rubber boots so he might be
"dry-shod all the time, but it was no GO
The other orphan was temporarily in No. 8,
and was and would have been transported
with the others had he remained. That
both lost their places may be true, but to
ascribe it wholly to school directors is UNI
just, for we apprehend that Barkis was
more than willin'."
Point four. Mothers-and little ones
bundled, three families in three districts,
all told, two of them little more than a
mile from school of two grades Children
" bundled and taken from their homes to
the school-house-good road, good team
transportation paid, what kind of an argu-
ment is that, when there are twenty OF
thirty families in town, who, the coming
year, must bundle up" and send their
little ones some two to two and one-hali
miles over some of the steepest hills and
most drifting roads in town, and at their
own expense? 1t happens, however, that
the mother of some of the little ones consid
ers it a great scheme,' and asks for like
privilege the coming year,
At the close Of the four-pointed statement
we find this statement, that Brookfield
wants the town system loHhout centrdlizd
ton. Now il the correspondent had said
or we want it ,oithOut Capitalization, it would
be nearer the truth, for five out of six fam
lilies in No. 8, and parents and others in No
2, and with the exception Of one in No. 9, al
want the same Capitalization continued in
1894 that was had the past year. And wei
they may, for every one has expressed sat
isfaction and know that their children have
made marked progress in their studies
BrOokfield has not hesitated to centralia,
for successful town library, and to organ
ize several successful, hourishing organiza
tons, among which is the grange, having il
it's membership quite number from tn,
4" back districts" and they would hardl,
think Of subdividing, and have one to foul
members constitute a branch. Nor doe
Brook field hesitate to centralize" the pro
duct of its excellent diaries; and it is safe tt
say that nine-tenths OF the milk product will
be sent to the five different creameries t.
be run the coming season. Now why should
not the product" of the home, which is tn,
most important of all, where it can be rea
sonably done. be centralized" into schoo
or schools, where the product " can be tn,
most successfully worked and trained?
II Brookfield does not want to improve
her schools, and does not want her long
neglected ol.hOuses made suitable fol
school purposes and furnished with proper
helps, and does not wish to have a goot
central school continued-the one estab
lished last year received pupils from eight dis
tricts-and is not willing to leave the schoo
management with the officers that they hav,
elected by ballot, who, 80 far as they coult
consistently, have carried ont the wishes o
the parents especially, and who propose Il
do the best they can do to carry out the Law
in giving this scholars as nearly equal ad
vantages as possble,-then she should Sc
| the ball in motion to send some one to tn
next legislature who will do his level bes
to wipe out the present law; and If she is T.
| be honored in the "upper branch" by
county senator, to which she is entitled
she will do we'll to sample" him also.
| The most difficult problem to adjust
| that of transportation. So many overlool
the fact that all district lines are abolished
and some are receiving pay for " shor
| haul" while others make the long haul
without any "hope of reward financially
ONB OF THE DIRECTORS