Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-05-14
Augustus New School System.

" a. HIdtllCdlly all one way anu hu-
gusta has accepted for better or for
worse the act Of the Legislature con-
solidating the city's school systems and
putting them under one governing
board and superintendent. No doubt
the great mass Of our citizens are sat
isfied with this result and feel conf
that will place Augusta in line with
the cities which lead in educational
| work The Journal is gratified at the
result and hopes that the discussion
which has been carried on in its COL
umn5 has been the means of arousing
interest in the measure and causing its
provisions to be more fully under
stood.
One thing in particular has been
prominent in All the communications
received by this paper and in ali the
discussions heard upon the subject.
Whichever side was taken, it was as
serted with much emphasis that poll
under the new system as absolutely as
under the old. The only possible way
in which the new system can fail to
meet the expectations Of its friends and
supporters is by the crowding in of
politics not necessarily partisan poll
tics but school politics which are just
az BAD. There is certainly no reason
why politics of aCy kind should figure
IN tie new system when our schools
have been kept 50 free of this evil un-
der tilc old system. In each ward
good men must DE- chosen AS their
r. ,rt scEtativts upon the school board
Y hen the election IL held a f,.W Weeks
hence. men of intelligence and in
tt2riiy, men with the interests Of The
schools and of the city at heart ana
men who VIII strive earnestly to make
the new system a success. 1t matters
these men belong, nor whether they are
al of one party or all of the other as
long a. they keep politics out Of school
matters. Let strong men be chosen in
every ward ana the rest will be for the
welfare of our schools and the satisfac-
ton Of our citizens.
The chief aim Of the new system is to
secure uniformity in the schools Of the
city. 1t is to be noticed that in all the
discussions on the hill which was voted
on yesterday no attacks have been
made upon the present standing of our
schools except in the respect that the
work done is not uniform in all sec
tions and that they would be better
managed by one board than by many
1t is not too much to say that in both
the Village and Williams districts our
schools are on a higher level today than
ever before, with more efficient teach
cis in charge and better work being ac-
cnmplishcd. But uniformity has been
lacking. a lack whose effects have been
specially noticeable when pupils
have reached the High school, and this
is one of the first things to be rem
cdied under the new system. 1t isl
posSibl" ana indeed probable that at
the outset the new system will involve
the expenditure of more money than
under the old, but the increase will
certainly not be large one and if the
"nd sought for is attained all will agree
that it is money wisely expended.
In this connection it is to be remem-
bcrcd that the enlargement of the Cony
High school building is a necessity of
the near future if the usefulness OF
that institution is to be what it should
-. Conditions are now crowded there
ana the school is constantly growing in
numbers. Work Is being carried on at
Il disadvantage and before the much
needed commercial department can be
added and the other new courses
which are wanted for the benefit of
those students who are not preparing
for college, an enlargement Of the
building is imperative 1t is poor
economy indeed for the city to handi-
cap the work Of its High school and
prevent its natural enlargement and
development by denying it sufficient
room in which to work to advantage
The enlargement Of the building is not
something needed at an indefinite time
in the future, but something which
must De attended to at once. and it will
be specially fitting for il to be a fea-
ture Of this transition period when our
old school system is discarded for one
more modern and progressive.
The var department reports an
alarming increase in army deserters