The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-09-11
POWHATAN SCHOOLS
New Rulings Viii Bring Hardship to
White Schools.
Special Dispatch 10 The Times.)

fSrecial Dispatch The Times)
POwHATAN c. h, VA, Sept. 10
The County School Board met here yes
terday to arrange school matters and to
fix on some day to start the schools for
The coming session Macon school Will
open UP September the 18th Spencer and
Huguenot schools will not start up until
the first Monday in October. The rules
governing the schools as TO age of schol-
ars and the average daily or monthly
attendance were read. and under dlrec-
ton of the Educational Board of the
State. were adopted and ordered to be
enforced. They Hre as follows: NO
child can enter the school under seven
wears OF ago, and none over the age OF
twenty years can enter The average
daily attendance per month snail not De
less than fifteen, and in the event the
average is not made during the twenty
days of the first school month the teacher
Is directed to close the school at once
This will work a great hardship to the
white schools of this county, and In one
of the districts (Macon) it is evident
.hat one half of the white schools in that
district will have to be closed, and In
The other district Will cause the moving
OF several school buildings and the COM
hining of several white schools, causing
the children OF many of patrons to walk
several miles in order to get to any
school at all
It has been very difficult in the last
several years under the former rules to
keep up these schools. Under the former
rules children could enter at the school
age of five years. About as many col
ored schools are run in this county as
white ones. and the colored schools have
no difficulty in making the required aver
age and even more. and in Macon Dis
trict the trustees say that they have six
- et~- ~o1Sv aI oyoI
that they are sure that at least three
white schools will have to close under
this plan adopted. and that the colored
schools will not be affected at all. and
when the matter Of school taxes paid
for county school purposes Is looked into
and they find that the bulk of this tax
Is paid by the white people. and they
are deprived of as many schools as the
colored man has. it Is very much against
the grain. White people are largely in
the minority and the section not Very
thickly settled and under the ruling of
this fifteen average some of the best
and heaviest taxpayers are cut off from
the public schools as we'll as number
of other good and hard working citizens,
who are not blessed with so much OF this
worlds riches. which this hardship VIII
fall heavy on. We think and wonder
when we think that the white people Of
this county pay in county levy for school
purposes yearly sl.Sl7.Ss, while the col
ored only pay in s225,3i. Is there any
reason why We should not be disgruntled 2
is ere any justice or reason why We
should be required TO pay our money and
then TO be deprived Of not letting our
boys and girls have the benefit of it, Or
rs much benefit as the man who pays
a small pittance in this direction? We
hope the Educational Board will see this
u {1ay yhar Ito,
some arrangements with our school SUI
pcrintendent and Board of Trustees so
as our school may not be closed in the
mouths of our children, but let them have
the benefit of the money paid by their
fathers for this purpose.