The Somerset reporter., 1897-04-15
For the Reporter
The New school Laws.

The last legislature made some very
important changes aud amendments to
our school law, with which everyone
Interested in our public schools should
become familiar. Not only should pa
rents and school officers study aud uu-
derstand these provisions, but SHOULD see
that they are faithfully and impartially
enforced. The time has come when a
pecially in our rural schools, to have the
teachers do better work and the school
superintendent diseharge their duties
faithfully and inteiligeutly. Have the
school laws enforced, aud let parents
teachers and superinteudeuts unite their
interests and work for the bettermeut
of the rural schools.
Among the most important move
ments passed by the legislature we
notice the following, "fhat any public
school failing to maintain an average at.
tendance, for any school year, of at least
eight pupils, shall be, and is hereby sus-
pended, unless the town shall vote to in
struct lis experimenting school commit
tee to maintain said school. The super
intendent of schools ii each town shall
procure the conveyance of all school
pupils residing in town to and from the
nearest school, for the number of weeks
the schools are maintained in each wear.
when such pupils reside at such dis
tances from said school as to render such
conveyance necessary This law makes
conveyance of pupils to other districts
or schools compulsory. The schools in
the rural towns should be further con
solidated, so that there might be from
two to four schools maintained at the
most eligible places in town. then have
them graded aud taught by the best and
most efficient teachers ohtanable. Then
the supervision would be brought to
smaller limits, and might be very much
more thorough and effective. as well as
less expensive. The great reduction of
the expense of maintaining so many
small schools would be evident.
Another important act was passed
which says that "On and after July l.,
1897, the school committee of two or
more towns, having under their care an
aggregate of not less than twenty five
or more than fifty schools, may unite in
the employment of superintendent of
schools, provided they have been so
authorized by a vote of their towns at
their regular town meetings, or special
town meetings called for the purpose
The town embraced i'll the union must
raise by taxation, Il sum not less than
five hundred dollars for the support of a
superintendent ofsthe schools, and then
IF ha i
the State will reimburse the towns in
said union, SUN equal to half of the
amount expended for superintendent,
by each of the several towns. Persons
serving as superintendents, under this
act, must hold State certificates and
must devote their entire time to its
duties. This law is a great stride in the
right direction, but Il argn portion of
the rural towns in the State cannot con-
sistenty avail themselves of its advan-
tages.
Another amendment which takes eff ct
next March, says every town shall
choose at its annual meeting a school
committee of three persons instead of
five or seven as NOW. And that "no
member of the school committee of any
town shall be employed AS teacher in
said town. The experimenting school
committee shall serve without pay I'M
less otherwise voted by the town"
Again it says the superintendent of
schools cannot be a member of the school
committee. He may be elected by the
board of school committee or ne may
be elected by ballot at the regular town
meeting.
VIM. McLAUGmIN.
IIorp,op,s AnriI