Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1905-04-14
EDUCATIONAL.
PUBLICUS

ceedings at certain school meetings, held
in our neighboring town, Wayne Station
AS we understand the case, Wayne pro-
posed Ito herself) to enlarge her school
boundaries, taking in territory that will
completely disrupt another district and ,
leaving the majority Of the people added
to it by the proposed extension, so far
from'school that attendance, except by
conveyance, would have been out of the
question, She proposed to thus enlarge
her territory, then petition the Legisla-
ture by a special act to allow her to be-
come independent in school. matters,
from the remainder If the tenth civil
district. The petition was drafted, sig
natures obtained of a part of the resi-
dent voters of Wayne and immediate
vicinity, and was about to be accepted
and sent in, when opposition unexpect-
edly developed. Rcsidents of remote
corners of the proposed extension had
strong objections to being deprived of
school privileges and led by deter
mined man and supported by an able
member-of tho Committee, who og-
niz,d tbs justice of their cause, they
succeeded in having the boundary lines
so modified as to include only those
: who desired
The object of the proposed new dis
trict, and the advantages to be derived
nre claimed to be these Wayne having
a somewhat numerous pqpulation,' pays
anJ draws from the State funds u larger
proportion Of the school funds than is
expended in her intcrest; the balance
going to aid in the maintenance of oil
or schools in the tenth civil distric'.
The forming of an indcpenlant district
would leave her funds to be expended
by herself for the benefit Of the children
Of that district alone, and with such
funds at her disposal, she proposes TO
erect commodlous. brick school house,
establish graded school and conduct a
eight or ten months school each year,
the length OF. term to be determined by
the amount of funds available. 1t can
be readily seen that the larger the ter
ritory, the more funds to be expended.
The ambition to have better schools is
certainly praiseworthy, and the benefits
to be derived from longer and better
schools are worth striving for, but as the
opposing parties, to the plan as first
proposed, rightly contended, o term of
moderate length within a reasonable
distance of their home, would be of far
greater benefit to them, than a school of
the highest efficiency. if beyond their
reach. That our school system is def
cient all will admit,bu are local chang
es the best remedy? Can there not be
some means devised, or plans formed, by
which the standard of our schools be
brought into favorable comparison with
that Of any other state2 TO every think
ing person, who is interested in educa'
ton, it is self-evident fact that the
amount at our command for the main
tenance Of our schools is entirely mad
equate, and how can We better it
Should we not have the privilege of as
sessing higher tax, within aprescribet
limit, on our properly, to be applied tc
our school funds? And would it be s
benefit or otherwise if local districts
were allowed to withdraw and become
independent To speculative mine
the question arises, how will such al
action as that of Wayne, if approved b,
the Legislature, affect the other school
of the tenth district, aad fall the NOR
wealthy and populous districts of til
entire State should become Independent
in order to have more funds for thei
o, schools, how would it affect til
school system of the State? If the
were bettered by such move, would no
Others suffer correspondngly2 Woul
our schools be more efficient if all on
local districts were independent of tn
Others, each one administering its ON
affairs,or is the present system the bette
one? BY all means let us think, an
think to some purpose, striving alwa!
for the highest and best interests of OF
children, on whom the future of o,
State depends, but let us adopt for on
motto, Equal rights to all, and speci'
privileges to none