Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-03-16
BRATTLEBORO ACADEMY,
4 Monument to Those Who Have Sus-
tanned IT,

DIR, Clark's views heshfuihB '''
luton Adopted at Town Meeting-'-
Advantages which the Institution Az
lords.
E5jto, of Tbc Phonir:-Will you al
lou mo through the medium of your paper,
IN saw few words concerning the resolu.
fion offered by David Perry and passed
At the recent town meeting with regard TO
the matter of placing the control OF the
Rrattleboro Academy in the hands OF the
town school directors For the full text OF
tbis resolution the reader is referred to the
ranort of the meeting published in The
Pbmnix of last week. Whatever may be
tho nurnose of such a resolution and how
over harmless it NAV be in other respects,
I think that the latter part of it, with re-
marks which were made, would give 10 the
General nnblic a very erroneous impression
with regard to the present work OF the
academy and they might infer that the ad-
vauced pupils of the town district were not
receiving proper advantages at IndU lns'i-
tuition. =,
II seems important that any such i'm
preston as this should be corrected anu
that the public should be informed cou-
corning the real situation. 1t is not
necessary to go back into the remote past
and recall the work which this institution
has done, for throughout all the years Oh
the past century it has stood as mohu-
ment to those who sustained 1t by thelr Ell
forts and their means, and power Ior
blessing to this town and Vlclnlty' AS
has always been the case, the trustees vi
the academy are among the prominent
men of the town and receive no remuheIa-
ton for their services. Certainly the
town cannot find better men for such a
position than Judge Wheeler, Judge Tyler,
Judge Waterman, Judge Newton, Kew
Mr.. Rabbit, Rev. Mr.. Wood and others.
At the time when the school directors
assumed the charge of the schools, oelng
under the necessity of providing lnstruc-
ton for advanced pupils, they found II
convenient to make arrangements 10 give
to all such pupils of the town district, who
were found able to pass the required eX-
animation, the advantages OF the academy
at a reasonable tuition.
There has, therefore, been no town cen
trail school, and it is evident that both
parties have been benefited by the ar
rangement The wise course OF the
school directors in giving their undivided
support to the academy has enabled the
trustees to employ qualified teachers, and
to improve the general condition in every
respect. The young people of the district
have thus been enabled to enjoy the ad-
vantages of superior instruction, since dur
ing the first years, at least, the law did
not provide for instruction in anything but
higher English, in central school.
That high standard has been main
tanned at the academy during these years
cannot be denied. Those who have enter
ed higher institutions have stood upon
their merits and successfully passed exam
nations, and have maintained good stand
ing in their classes, thus proving the eX-
cellence of their training The record
which is being made by the graduating
class of 1899 is one of which any school
might well be proud. and as teachers they
are receiving high commentator. Such
results show that no better instruction has
been given in any other school in the
Tork which has been undertaken. II
should be remembered, also, that a large
portion of the pupils receive their prepare
tory instruction at the common district
schools, where the teachers are continually
changing and the attendance is more OF
less irregular from term to term. 1t is
not strange, therefore, that some drop out
or do not reach high standards at the acad-
envy, but this is sometimes the case in
other schools.
The law requires that the directors shall
provide instruction to advanced pupils in
higher English and that they may provide in.
struction in languages and higher branches
They may establish schools for this purpose.
When no such school exists in the town,
then such pupils shall be provided for in
the High schools, academies or seminaries
of the town. 1t would seem that the di-
rectors are not at liberty to establish other
schools, which would tend to weaken OF
destroy existing institutions, and that they
have, therefore, done their full duty in the
matter.
1t has been shown that the pupils have
been provided with superior instruction,
and it has been done at moderate expense.
1t is difficult to see, therefore, what ad-
vantage would be gained if the change pro.
posed by Mr.. Perry could be effected. The
directors are limited by law, the trustees
only by want of means much better,
then, that the town directors give their
undivided support to this school already
established.
With hearty support and cooperation on
the part of patrons and the people of the
town, there seems to be no reason why
Brattleboro Academy should not be, as in
former days, the pride of the region and
worthy the name it bears. When the con.
ditons are better understood probably the
people will conclude that this is the schoo
which the town district needs and ought tc
maintain. G. S. CLARK.
Brattleboro, March IA, 1900.