The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1897-08-06
~ Town eToplcs.tI , u
t'tt.r f.eesa.s slt.sasn5f..
.Sst,4sss -....... .
u.n Our Public Schools 'i'>''
THE SANDY HOOK DISTRICT.


THE SANDY HOOK hook DISTRICT. i.,,.
Y ft}eIs.i,t ='.5ssl4.,z ~ u4EI '~sH .tts44fsE>s
j.. At the annual meeting of the. Sand.
a Hook district the following Motion
was adopted: ssFhat. the Committee. b.
instructed to hire T. j. Corbett as prln
eipaf and Ella Lillisaas assistant teache
LOT our school for the appropriation from
the town, if it can be done; ;, IL not, tina
1.-THE committee be instructed to apply tt
the board Of appropriation for a sun
Sufficient to carry the foregoing into er
tect and maintain the school at its pres
ent standard of excellence for the -ensu.
ing year, '''~'' % '.7o'' ..,., a,.s.., b.
This is a very remarkable document
Hok at it from any point OF view you
please; The original Is evidently in the
handwriting of the person who means to
Eoontinne to be the principal of the school.
I Was no voter present who really wanted
to offer the '"motion?'' 1t seems that
the one who offered it explained that
he was requested to hand it up to the
clerk. THE question, of greatest IuL
poftance is: Who would thu! people of
the district prefer as teachers of their
children?. T.,
After the above .'.motion" was adopt
ed. SIT was then voted, to appoint ME-.
Houlihan, John McDermott and John B.
kain as committee to cooperate with
the District Committee III asking the
Board of fApportionment for an increased
| appropriation. I've" '''' ..,,,5-r. ,. ..,,,,
Now, let US study that Amotion.''
What does ses it mean? In the first place it
appears. that the teachers named must be
hired. Has the committee any authority
to hire any others? In the second place
they must be hired ''for the appropria-
tion from ron the town,", 800 being the sum
estimated, @if,it c&nrbe done. .''o But sup
pose the principal accepts better offer,
or the assistant named will not accept the
terms proposed, what then is the legal
status Of the business? III not" if the
apersonssnamed cannot be hired, or can
not be hired t'for the appropriation from
the town, ," t$700, )'that the Committee
be Instructed to apply TO the board OF ap-
poqtrtifonmqlent for a sum sufficient to carry
the foregoing vote into effect,p What
/ was that vote? Why, that, the persons
named should be- hired ''for the appro-
prlatien from the town!. How can't they
be hired rof any other sum ?" 1T was all
one "motion, adopted BY one vote, and
that not a real "ballot'' in the eyes OF, the
law! t',a7tt f,to ,uFtlt " 'Ph:t' 4
1t makes me think OF the story of Pat
trying to step the departing train with
''Hould on there, yes got a passinger
aboard that's left behind ,,,,,,,.,y,,,,,
~ Such would seem to be the logic of the
motion the first part of which we sup.
pose was passed just 9 little ahead of the
rest of it.r.'TheB meeting must have been
little nervous about something for it
elected d new clerk in the presence of the
old old one, s3wore him in and he entered at
once upon his duties, notwithstanding the
officers of the district must by law hold
inapower until the 10th of July following.
aNowfas q voter and ia xpayer In the dis
trict,' as a 'pareneswho would gladly, send
my children to the public school, under
certain conditions, and as school visit
or, wish to call the attention of the com
mittee appointed to cooperate, in asking
for an increased appropriation in our dis
trict, to the financial management and
standing Of the Sandy Hook school,. The
records Of the district show that .Prinei7
pal corbett began his reign in the school
year of $3.50. The number or pupils
registered that year was 90, and the larg-
est, avs average att2 attendance ida for one term was
e5,46.i There were three teachers then as
there have been since, Iuntil now. Miss
Ella Lillis received 1927 per month, Miss
,Josie Carey saa, and It appearsthat from
the start Mr. Corbett had all that he could
get out of the appropriation, after the
wages 'ofthe other teachers and, the ineio
dentals were'paid, with the exception of
one year, CSO-'s1J when the sssdrprds''
was divided among the three teachers
Mr. Co-bett received $500, Miss 'tiIfis
$3.50, Miss Briscoe $3.50, and it seems
that che other teachers expected to be
treated alike IL, that matter from that
cir time on, but the principal has had it all
since that yea. For ythe first year. the
principal received s4s, per month for, the
first,seyen smonths., Su for one month,
s455.75 one month. and s45.7s the last
months y in all SI33,53.9 The appEopriar
Itien must have beenaabout $1,000. I'm
'9O'91, mentioned above, the appropria-
| tion was Sl100a In ssI-'s2 the approprsa-
Itfon was $780, OF which the principal
drew s614 So. For So .'o4 the appropri;aa-
Ition was siz5o, OF which Mr. Corbett was