The Newtown bee., 1898-10-14
BETHEL.

CONDITION OF BETHEL s SCHOOLS,
The School Visitors would report as
follows: The management Of the pub
Inc schools is in the hands Of town com.
mittee of your selection. This commit
tee elects annually SUBJ committees from
their own members who have oversight
OF various interests Of the schools. The
visitors are Entrusted with the superyis-
ion OF the work of the teachers and the
classification of the pupils. This is a
task which involves the spending of
more time than is possible to men ell gag.
ed In o;her occupations. While your
VISITORS have performed their duties 50
far as the time at their command per-
miteed, they realize that their work has
had much limitation. Possibly the time
is near when this work of supervision
can DE entrusted to one Or more prlnci-
pals who can give the time needed. Six.
teen schools with II teachers have been
maintained during the entire year. At
the commencement of the spring term, it
was necessary to establish another pri-
mary room In the Center. The room
was fitted temporarily and teacher en-
ployed. This room has since been quip
ped with new furniture and must bt con
tinued during the ensuing year. AT
present there are in use in Grassy Plain
five, and in the Center, seven rooms In
the High schoo! the increase of pupils re-
qulres the use of the en- ire building.
The following was the total registration
in the several schools: High and GRAM
mar schools, 1909; Center, 299; Plum
trees, 80; Grassy Plain, 269; Etiuwood,
%; Wofpits, %; Stony Hill, II; total
773. The average attendance If those
registered was 50 3 or one Of the highest
averages Of, the towns of the coun v
The Wis tors desire 10 call the attenUit
Of patrons of the schools TO an apparent
lack of interest on their part in not Wis.
iGing the rooms. Some of the school reg
isrel do not show the record of single
visit from any one except school officers.
This is not as it should be and is not for
sne highest in erest and encouragement
Of the schools. Your own Child, as we'll
as the teacher, would be eatly encour-
aged by your occas oaal visits. We have
secured our teache r6 of late years wholly
from the ranks of our own graduates,
some of whom have received training in
the state Normal schools. We have
been fortunate in instructors of uni
form excellency. The work OF the clas.-
room during the year has been above the
average. We have been able TO quicken
the routine of the classes, and to do the
work in the grammar grade which here
tofore was carried to the High school.
year of its histoJ y, and In this connection
suggests our rene we'd interest in its
work. During the decade it has been
under the care continuously of the same
principal He has been uatiring in the
advancement of The school, and his work
with his pupils has been of marked excel
lence. Largely through his energy IL
brary of 1858 volumns has been eeta blish.
ed. His assistants, by their efficiency.
ho oh
since the establishment of the school
335 pupils have erjoYed the advantages
If the school, l16 naving taken the full
course of; study and graduated. The
school has already pressed beyond its
original boundaries, and demands, in the
near future, expansion of it's courses of
study and larger teaching force. A
second assistant teacher is It's immediate
need. Our schools constitute by far the
towns largest irem of expense. The
average schof expenses of the state, dur
ing the last 10 years have nearly doub-
led; this town is no exception. The Sec
Rotary of the Board of Education, in hi
recent report, remarks upon this fact as
commensurate with the large advance
and betterment of schools of the
of the state. We think we see lines of
advance in our schools during this period.
But I'VE have been compelled by the
doubling of the school census to expand
our expense account. The average cost
per pupil enumerated in the state last
year, was $l4 q. and IN average attend
ance was $40 80. This town, however,
paid $l2 81 and $18 II respectively per
pupil, showing that our expense account
is favorable by comparison. It is not ca
~ to see how our expenditures can great
iy lessen, without injury to the schools
and with constantly increasing registra.
ton. The enumeration of children of
school age last yearwas 794, or 40 more
than the preceding year. The enumera-
ton this year is 8l2, or Is more than last
year. Respectfully submitted, Hen
~ L. Slack, William S. Workman.