St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-07-23
THE SPECIAL TOWN MEETING.
The Voters Instruct the School Board
TO Pay the Increased Tuition at the
Academy.

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to Pay the Increased TuiIiOn at the
Academy.
The special to wn meeting in the Armory
Friday evening was largely attended,
about 500 gentlemen and a score OF
ladies being present. 1t was perhaps the
first town meeting where the moderator
has called to order with the words,
Ladies and gentlemen" and it was the
first one where ladies attended qualified
to vote.
Capt. E. L. Hovey called the meeting
to order and the call was read by Herbert
W. Blodgett. The chairman of the school
board, Arthur F. Stone, then stated the
case on behalf of the school board and
asked for instruction from the town. He
referred to the fact that the school ex-
penses were so large that for several
years the amount in excess of the school
tax of SO cents on the dollar was paid
out of other town appropriations. The
increased tuition at the Academy, from
$33 60 to SAG for each pupil, would in
crease the school expenses, but even then
it would be cheaper for the town to pay
the Academy than to start high school,
He presented figures, prepared by Supt.
Dempsey, showing that high school
would cost over $40 for each pupil and
said the school board recommended that
the town pupils be educated at st. Johns-
bury Academy at $46 year, as the Yer
mont Statutes provided that the town
must either provide high school or pay
for tuition at an academy.
Rev. E. M. Chapman then introduced
the following resolution and moved it's
adoption
Resolved, that the town school direct
ors be authorized and instructed to edu-
cate the town pupils requiring high
school education at the st. Johnsbury
Academy, at an annual tuition not ex-
ceeding $40.
Rev. Fr. ]. A. Lynch said he favored
the resolution as far as it applied to the
students in the academy, but he thought
the town should pay similar sum for
those receiving equivalent instruction at
the convent of Notre Dame. He said
the academy was private school and
If we paid tuition there we should also in
all fairness pay the tuition of the Cath
olic scholors in the convent. He then
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and moved its adoption:
Amending the resolution that the pu-
pills of the town Of st. Johnsbury now
attending the convent and following
higher courses therein, be paid for at the
same rate as those attending st. Johns
bury Academy.
Judge Stafford called FIR. Lynch's at
tention to the fact that by the Vermont
Statutes the students above the gram
mer grade must be educated at high
school or academy, if educated at the
towns expense, and that such an
amendment as he proposed would not be
legal.
Supt. Dempsey favored the original
resolution and said he did not think this
amendment was appropriate. From a
financial point of view the town had bet
ter pass the resolution and he believed
the townspeople wanted to do all IN
their power to help the Academy which
had such a record as an educational in
stitution.
Father Lynch said he hoped no one
would think he was hostile to the Acad-
emy as he not only urged his people to
send their children to the public schools
but also to the Academy, but he believed
it was establishing a dangerous prece'
dent for the Catholics to vote public
=. money to a private institution. He be
lieved the amendment was inseparably
! connected with the resolution and as a
matter of principle ought to pass along
! with the resolution.
I John Macdonald heartily favored the
amendment and called upon all to vote
t for it and do away with all criticism and
unfairness.
Judge Stafford called attention to the
+ fact that while the Academy is not g
: public school it was an incorporated
= Academy and as such governed by th'
legislature.
Father Lynchs motion for the amend
e ment was lost and the original resolution
n was adopted with less than dozen dis
> senting votes. The meeting then ad