Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-03-17
TIE SCHOOL LAWS
Relating 30 Advanced Tow" S'"o
and Their Tuition

and Their luh'"
There seems to be some mlsapPlen.u5
sion about advanced town scholars anu
their tuition. ,,.,, Statutes
oono,ron scbools are to be provided al
which tall pupils shall be thorougniy ~
strncted in good behavior, reading, Wrlling'
smelling, English grammar, geography,
arithmetic. free-hand drawing, the hlsVoi
and constitution of the United States, anu
in elementary physiology and hygiene VIII
special reference to the effect OF alcoholi'
drinks and narcotics on the human sys
TEN, and shall receive special lnstr uc' ~
in the geography, history, constitution an -
principles of the government OF NeIulons'
No authority is given for providing Ioi
this instruction in any other schoois, eA-
cept that by section $50 as amended Oy ~ ~,
25 of the acts of the last legislature, a
child residing in the vicinity OF school III
an adjoining town, who can evidently Oe
better accommodated in such school may
demand the privileges of said school, etc
This refers to adjoining towns, and not 10
adjoining districts. BY section bSi the al
rectors are required "to provide for the IN
struction of pupils in the higher branches
of English in the graded schools of the town
district I" may establish schools for teaching
these branches, a1d when there are no such
schools they are required to provide for
teaching them in the high schools, acade-
mics or seminaries of the town, or If none,
may do so in an adjoining town. Ard by
section 700 every town may, and any town
containing $500 inhabitants is required TO
maintain a high school for instruction in
Il. ,Olo NJ
the sciences, political economy, civil gov
eminent, general history and rhetoric, and
may give instruction in Latin and creek
languages, modern languages and other
advanced studies;" and by section 1O2 a
town having an incorporated graded school
or academy, "shall secure the instruction
in said high school or academy of all
scholars resident in the town district
whose proficiency will permit thereof, If
they shall desire such instruction." etc.
This town contains $500 inhabitants and
has in it an incorporated graded school,
and has in the town district an incorpo-
rated academy at which these branches
are taught. Here are no provisions for
instruction in the common school branches
anywhere but in the common schools; the
provisions for instruction elsewherelis for
such instruction in the higher branches
mentioned. The examinations are bad
for the purpose of ascertaining whether
the common school branches have been
learned sufficiently to warrant proceeding
to the higher branches; and passing the
examinations warrant providing for in
struction in the higher branches only at
the expense the town district.
By section 6T3 before, and as amended
by section "A of the acts of last session,
the directors have always had authority to
designate what schools scholars shall at
tend, but they have never had authority to
send scholars to any but the common
schools for instruction in common school
branches.
Whether the law allows providing for
advanced scholars out of the town district.
when there is an incorporated academy
within it is not entirely clear; if it does
the best interests of all require that sub
stantially all should be provided for there
to keep it up. If it should fail a High
school in the town district would be re-
quired, and, if had, no advanced schoslar
could be provided for elsewhere.
II. II. WHEELER