The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-04-06
THE SCHOOL,
DIRECTORS
The Proceedings at a Regular Monthly
Meeting asst Night.
ROUTINE BUSINESS TRANSACTED
The Directors Are Cautious to Avoid Any
Action That May Leave Room For
surcharges--Report Submitted
on School Attendances and
Finances.


regular monthly meeting Of the Schoo
Board was held las night with Direction
Coughlin, Hanna, Baugh, KEEPER, Holvey
Dove, Breslin, Whitaker, Britt, Connors and
| Dewitt in attendance. The business tran
sacted was of routine chaacterand nothing
Of exceptional importance developed
The only matter over which there was dis
cussiOu was a bill presented by Solicitor
Burke for services in the Scanlan tax cases
The bill was for S25. Mr. Whitaker reported
that the Finance committee had investigated
the matter and reached the conclusion, after
securing legal advice, that the Board could
not pay the bill without running the risk of
being surcharged, inasmuch that the fixing
of the Solicitors salary seemed to embody all
services that might be rendered
Mr.. Hanna said the annual fee Of the
Solicitor was $50, but it was well understood
by all ex-members, as well as present men,
bers that the fee was intended simply as a
retainer and it has always been the custom
of the Board to pay its Solicitor for services
in legal affairs aside from giving advice. He
thought it would be unjust to expect the
Solicitor to do all the Boards legal work for
the small retainer, but at the same time he
would not question the soundness of the legal
advice the committee had received on the
bill.
Mr.. Dove said there was no intention to do
anybody injustice and that the committee
was simply crying to protect the Board
against any future contingency To pay the
bill would practically be increasing the
solicitors salary. He thought that if the
Board would wait until the close of the litiga-
tion it would have way by which the
solicitor could be paid what be might be en-
TITLED to. Here the discussion ended.
Superintendent Cooper reported as follows ::
The seventh month of the school year closed
with the following result: Monthly enroll
ment-Boys, 1276 girls, 14O7 total, 26s3
Average daily attendance--Boys 1Ol3; girls
1913; total, 2Os6. Percentage Of attendance
Boys, So; girls, SO; total 81. There were
90 pupils who attended every session. Visits
made by citizens, 81 by directors, 25. In
the evening schools there was monthly en-
rollment of 267 boys and 80 girls, or a total
of 297 pupils, An average evening attend
ance Of us boys and 25 girls, making a total
OF 2O3 pupils with a percentage Of attendance
OF II for the boys and 70 for the girls or an
average percentage of attendance of rs. In
these schools II pupils attended every session
There were Al visits by citizens and IA by
Directors. The average daily attendance and
the percentage of attendance for this month
are considerably reduced on account of the
great snow storm of the 18th and 18th of
February, and of the great fire on the 2sth
of the same month,
Truant Officer James Smith submitted the
following report During the school month
ending March Sth | visited the parents of 1856
absent pupils. The reason given for alb
sence in most cases was sickness During
the blizzard, which lasted two days, there
were number Of absentees from our schools
These cases did not deem it necessary to
investigate. There was large number of
pupils who absented themselves from school
the morning of the Swain fire. All, OF
nearly all, of these pupils brought excuses
from their parents to the superintendent
There were two cases of truancy during the
month. These pupils, sitter being punished
by the superintendent, were resdmitted TO
school.
The finance committee submitted a report
in writing as follows: The amount of our
pay roll and liabilities to be met this month
are Monthly pay roll, 50, 433; bills--for text
books and supplies S2Os. 50 for gas and CON
tingencies, $50 30 for coal, SllS. 10 for rent
and repairing, Sl3348; for interest on tenn
porary loans, S3OS 81 for interest on bonds
due April l, S51s total, 81, s5O.3l. Treasurer
MuldoOn reports on hand s., l3O.s2 Balance
to be raised by loan, S27lg.49. We recon-
mend that the proper officers be authorized
to make temporary loan for 90 days, to
meet current expenses. We also recommend
that the proper officers be instructed to renew
all nv lna, 4
tiOns adopted,
1t was stated that the use of school room
had been given to Joseph Bierstein for night
school purposes and the action was endorsed.
A request from II. W. Titmau to be allowed
to store lumber in the rear yard of the High
school building was referred to the building
and repairs committee with power to act.
Mr.. Titman desires to build a warehouse at
the rear of his recently purchased property
and the school yard is the most convenient
place for the storage Of the lumber, pending
the building operations without obstructing
the street. Mr.. Titman offers to assume re-
sponsibility for any damage that may arise
from the storage.
Tax Collector Burke appeared and pre-
sented his bond for 1899, with Mark Burke,
Patrick Ormsby, James Bell, P. J. Ferguson,
t. j. Higgins, James Foley and Bridget
Finnegan. The Board did not act on the
bond, other than to have it read as it is con-
sidered that the bond must be presented to
aud passed upon by the court. Mr. Burke
urged the Board to proceed with his exonera-
tion list for 1897, as there were many people,
a number of widows, claiming
that the Board has exonented them from
taxes.
The Board adjourned to meet upon the call
of the chair. May 2nd is the date for elect
ing a superintendent of schools.
10 South Main street will be our new loea
tiOn. Until then al goods sold at cost