The Press., 1895-07-25
[For The Press.) TOWN SYSTEM OF SCHOOLS.
BY J. N. EMO.

There seems to be widespread impress sion that the flown system" of schools Is an innovation, but the fact Is that the town system is the oldest system in New England. Subdivision was a consequence of the spread of population to distant parts of the town. It began in Connecticut in 1715, but district control was not author ized till 1722. It began in Massachusetts in 1799; districts were made corporations 1799; but not till 1897 were they author ized to elect district (prudentiaD commit tees. By act of 1850, towns in Massachu- setts were directed how to proceed in dis posing of schOOlhouses, in case it was deemed expedient to abolish the districts. In 1859 an act was passed abolishing the district system, but was repealed at the next session. The final act abolishing the district system was passed in 1882, taking effect Jan. 1, 1883. It was abolished in New Hampshire in 1885, and in Maine in 1894. In 1889 an act which was intended to be an enabling act, under the some- what unfortunate and misleading name of Generalization of districts" was passed in the Conn. legislature, after several par tial acts, in 1889.
 While the educational trend in the state, and attendant relations of the act, indi- cate that town system, in effect, was in tended, the opening section proposes that thn tOuD GEaho1l ooDetituto ono oohoO1 dir trict, having all the powers and duties of a school district, with the exceptions here matter stated" that is Consolidation so-called, a perpetuation of the district system. This section seems to let in or bring in 6 multitude of unnecessary de. tails and complications as to the "powers and duties of a school district" as related to those of town; for, by an earlier stat. ute, leach town shall have power to form unite, alter, and dissolve school districts within it's limits, !" and "when any districts shall be consolidated, the new district shall own all the property of the several districts" also "the school visitors may employ teachers and keep open 8 public school" for the usual time from public money, in case the district neglects to do so. But by U. s. laws and decisions "the powers of school districts are those be- longing to the most restricted quasi-cor- porations." They have corporate exist, ence by force only of their public func- tions. They are primarily political sub- divisions and agencies in the administra- tiOn of civil government. "Their officers have no power except by express statu- tory grant andsnecessary implication, and these are for the establishment and main tenance of public schools" What new "powers" the town acquires by becoming "one school district" appear to be of the nature of giving up the whole for part Under the principle of law that school districts exist only by authority derived from the legislature, (authorizing act passed about f722 in Conn.,, 17S9 in Mass. the Mass. legislature cut the Gordian knot of difficulty by the single sentence, "The school district zsgstem in this common wealth is hereby abolished" followed by provisions for the equitable transfer o property. from the district to the town
 school management thus reverting to tho town, its original holder, under genera statute defined "Eyery town not divided into school districts shall provide anC maintain a sufficient number of school houses, properly furnished and conven iently located, for the accommodation O all the children therein entitled to attend l the public schools, and the school com mittee, unless the town otherwise directs shall keep such houses in good order, anC shall procure a suitable place for thu schools, where there is no schoolhOuse and provide fuel and other things neces sary for the comfort of the scholars there in at the expense of the town.
 If the term consolidation of districts were intended by the Connecticut legisla tors to make the change from the presen district system appear as slight as possi ble, it seems to have been widely misun derstood, for in many towns 1t implies ev en to the school visitors some form O centralization. "The idea of abOlishinl the district system and finding common center has been discussed" Rev. A. Gard J ner, acting visitor, Warren, Conn.,, 1693-4