Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-04

watching their work as it is today, 1t
will be well to glance briefly over the
past and see how the organization of
the present system has been brought
about. When Augusta was separated
from Hallowell and became a town by
itself in 1897, just a century ago, it was
divided into eight school districts, six
on the west side of the river and two
on the east. The first year $500 was
raised for the support of schools. The
districts were subsequently divided
and sub-divided, as the growth of the
town proceeded, until finally the num-
Der had increased to q. The suburban
districts were all abolished by the city
in 1887 and the town system adopted in
their place. At the town meeting of
1897 three citizens were elected as
committee in each district, and seven
more as town committee ito visit
schools" This action was q wears in
advance of statute legislation and
nearly a quarter of century before
Maine became state and required it
by law. This practice was continued
until 1915. when the town elected an
agent for each district and fixed the
number of the school committee at
five.
In the early years of the century
Augusta had no graded schools. and
the efforts of the more progressive and
intelligent element Of the village popu-
lation to enlarge the educational facili.
ties did not avail against the conser-
vative majority, composed in great
part of the suburban voters. 1t was to
meet the demands of the situation that
the village district had it's origin. :.
special act applying to Augusta was
passed by the Maine Legislature Feb
ruary q, 1888, an act which in effect
anticipated the general State law of al
most three score years later, author
izing the abolition of all school dis
tricts and the placing of the schools
under the management of a central
committee or supervisor. The spec
ial act referred to authorized
any district in Augusta, or any
two or more districts if con-
solidated, to elect board of directors
to manage absolutely all it's school
affairs, grade it's schools. expend its
school money, etc. This made the Or
ganization of the village district pos
sible, though on account Of rebuffs
from the conservative element, it was
not effected until after nine years of
agitation and deliberation.
In 1912 two districts, Nos and .
voted to unite under the provisions of
the act of 1888 and adopted the name
of the Village School District. The
new district was of it's present limits
extending from the lHallowell line to 4
point beyond Main top and from the
river westward one mile. The first
meeting of the voters in the district
was held in the old town house on
Winthrop street, April 6, 1912, and the
annual meeting for the election of di-
rectors by popular vote and the trans
action of business is now held in April
at the VIM. r. Smith grammar school.
Originally there were seven directors,
now three as named earlier in this ar
ticle. At the beginning the directors
classified the scholars into one high.
two grammar and six primary
schools. There were then 974 scholars
in the district as against 213S by the
report of 1897.
The wisdom and foresight of those
who brought about the organization
of the village district has been amply
demonstrated. With the complete
control of their school affairs in their
own hands, Independent of the rest of
the city, the citizens of the district
nave OTOuSHt THEIR SCIlOOlS up ~ 6Iduc
of excellence not surpassed by any
other schools in the State. Neither
politics nor religion are allowed to
play any part in the affairs of the dis
trict. Teachers of all faiths are en-
ployed, the only criterion being their
teaching ability. In general, prefer
ence is given to residents of Augusta,
educated in our own schools BY ar
unwritten law both of the leading polit-
ical parties are represented on the
board of directors. The district is now
out of debt. and owns about 100000
worth of school property.
At present the village district owns
six schoolhouses: the VIM. r. Smith
school 0S7O) at the corner of State and
Bridge streets built on the site Of the
old classical school building that had
stood there from 1885, and named in
1891 in honor of steadfast promoter