Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1900-10-31
MEETING OFTHE COUNTY
SCHOOL BOARD.

The County School Board met in a
called session Saturday to take into
consideration the propriety of ordering
the vaccination of the children of the
Ipublic schools in Rockbridge. The
close proximity OF this dreadedscourge
has awakened the school authorities to
sense of the danger with which they
are threatened. The board adopted
series of resolutions which shifts the
responsibility of the county board upon
| the district boards. and which practi.
cally amounts to nothing, as the dis
trict boards knowing the opposition of
parents to having their children vacci.
mated will do nothing regarding the
enforcement of the law as it now stands
on the statute books. The law is as
follows:
persons suffering with contagious diseas-
es shall be excluded from the public free
schools while in that condition, and the
| teachers shall require OF the pupils cleanli
ness Of person and good behavior during
their attendance St the school and on their
way thither and back to their homes, and |
no pupil shall be admitted unless they have |
been vaccinated; provided, that the opera
ton of this clause concerning vaccination |
may be suspended In whole or In part by the /
school board Of any city or county"
1t was attempted to enforce vaccina-
ton in 1873, during Professor Camp
bells incumbency of the Office of sup
erintenient, but for the reasons assign
ed it was a partial failure. The town
OF Lexington during October has en-
forced the law, and the trustee PRESENT.
at Saturdays meeting said that up to
that time not as many as dozen child
rem had failed to acquire the privileges
and benefits that resulted from vigor-
GUS Wholesale vaccination.
The rural members of the board ex-
pressed doubts ss to whether the
schools could continue, as many par
ents have said they would withdraw
their children from the school before it
should be done. Colonel Shields fay
ored an effort being made by the several
boards to create q sentiment anongl
theI people in favor of vaccination un.
til oil opposition disappeared. All
'en,dble people could be shown what
great wrong they were the means OF
in having smallpox con- c
tant menace ard dread. In order to !
econcie conflicting views, the follow
eries of resolutions were offered by
DIR. J. Scott Moore, and were unani- l
nously adopted:
RESOLVED, That In the matter Of vacci-
ating the children Of the public schools, | ,
nd enforcing the law as 1t now stands, that
he whole subject be referred toIhe several
istrict boards, and recommend that they y
nforce the same as far ar practicable.
2. That a physician be selected by the "
istrict boards to vaccinate all the children
tho are unable to have 1t done, and that he Z
Q paid out of the district funds for what
ervlces he performs. l.
3. A certificate from any regular physic-
IN that child Is not a fit subject to be v
will be accepted In lieu Of vacci-
alton.
The m setting OF the board was not v
srge one, as two Of the trustees, G. J. 7
'ell and j. s. Craig, were absent at h
ending Synod, and Mr.. G.. W. Efinger
'as visiting in Baltimore. There were ie
resent besides the superintendent and b
ne clerk of the board, the following W
justices: Lexington, D. O. Humphries; | il
entral, J. Scott Moore, ". B. Wallace,
Y. II. Humphiis; Natural Bridge. R.
. McCluer and J. Houston Leech; E
'uffalo, w. D. Deacon; Kerr's Greek,
o representative present; Walkers
reek, j. S. Gibson, N. B. Ramsey; Of
outh River, John G. Shields. h,
The board adopted "Fiske's Civil
government" as q textbook 10 the
ublic schools. Lin